Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

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Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (Arabic: حمد بن عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة; born 28 January 1950) is King of Bahrain, having reigned since 2002, and was previously Emir of Bahrain since 1999. Hamad received his early education in Bahrain and in the United Kingdom before attending the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, Hampshire, from which he graduated in 1968. He also became a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1973. After his return to Bahrain, Hamad served as the commander of the Bahrain National Guard, commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), and minister of state for defense. He established the air force as an independent branch of the BDF. He succeeded his father, Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, as emir in 1999 and became the first king of Bahrain when he declared the country a kingdom in 2002. Hamad's reign has been marked by transformative political, constitutional, and economic reforms. Shortly after succeeding his father in 1999...

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