Bahrain plays a modest, moderating role in regional politics and adheres to the views of the Arab League on Middle East peace and Palestinian rights. Since achieving independence in 1971, Bahrain has maintained friendly relations with most of its neighbours and with the world community. It generally pursues a policy of close consultation with neighbouring states and works to narrow areas of disagreement.
Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (Arabic: حمد بن عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة Ḥamad bin ʿĪsā bin Salmān ʾĀl Ḫalīfah; is King of Bahrain since 14 February 2002, after ruling as Emir of Bahrain from 6 March 1999. He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous and first emir. The country has been ruled by the Al Khalifa dynasty since 1783.
Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa was a Bahraini royal and politician who had served as the Prime Minister of Bahrain from 10 January 1970 until his death on 11 November 2020, having taken office over a year before Bahrain's independence on 15 August 1971.
The House of Khalifa is the ruling family of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Al Khalifas profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Utub tribe that migrated from Central Arabia to Kuwait, then ruled all of Qatar more specifically Al Zubarah which they built and ruled over before settling in Bahrain in the early 17th century. The Utub tribe is part of the larger Anizah tribal confederation. The current head of the family is Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who became the Emir of Bahrain in 1999 and proclaimed himself King of Bahrain in 2002, in fact becoming a constitutional monarch.
Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa is a Bahraini diplomat who served as Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 until January 2020. Khalid became only the second foreign minister in Bahrain's history after replacing the Muhammad ibn Mubarak ibn Hamad Al Khalifah who then became Bahrain's deputy prime minister.
Bahrain's record on human rights has been described by Human Rights Watch as "dismal", and having "deteriorated sharply in the latter half of 2010". Their subsequent report in 2020 noted that the human rights situation in the country had not improved.
Jawad Salem Al Arrayed is a lawyer and cabinet member in Bahrain. Currently, he is President of the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs and one of four deputy prime ministers in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Bahrain–Pakistan relations are extremely strong and cordial. Bahrain maintains an embassy in Islamabad and a Consulate-General in Karachi, whilst Pakistan maintains an embassy in Manama. Both countries are members of the OIC and of the G 77.
Bahrain–India relations are the political, socio-economic, military and cultural ties between India and Bahrain. India is a close ally of Bahrain. As per Indian officials, the Kingdom along with its GCC partners are amongst the world's most prominent supporters of India's candidacy for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, and Bahraini officials have urged India to play a greater role in international affairs. For instance, over concerns about Iran's nuclear programme, Bahrain's Crown Prince requested India to play an active role in resolving the crisis.
Bahrain–United Kingdom relations are bilateral relations between Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Bahrain has an embassy in London and the United Kingdom is one of only four European countries to maintain an embassy in Manama. Bahrain gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971 and has since maintained strong diplomatic, military and trade relations.
The relations between Bahrain and Israel refers to the relations between Bahrain and Israel since Bahrain achieved independence in 1971. In recent years, relations between the two countries have been thawing, and the countries agreed to establish diplomatic relations in September 2020. The foreign minister of Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa has been quoted saying "Israel is part of the heritage of this whole region, historically. So, the Jewish people have a place amongst us." The common threat of Iran has provided common ground for a thaw in what was once tense relations. Bahrain's foreign policy traditionally supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
The Cabinet of Bahrain is the chief executive body of the Kingdom of Bahrain. According to Article 32 (b) of the 2002 Constitution, "executive authority is vested in the King together with the Council of Ministers and Ministers". The Council of Ministers (Cabinet) is appointed directly by the King . Bahrain has had only two Prime Ministers since the country's independence in 1971, Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah, the uncle of the reigning King Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah. Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah died on 11 November 2020, and was succeeded by the King's son, Crown Prince Salman. As of 2010, roughly half of the cabinet ministers have been selected from the Al Khalifa family, including the Minister of Defence, Minister of Interior, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs.
Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah is a Qatari politician who was minister of foreign affairs from June 2013 to January 2016. He has been minister of state for defense since January 2016.
Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah is a Kuwaiti diplomat and politician, who served in different governmental posts from 2006 until his appointment as the prime minister in 2019. In December 2020, he was reappointed as prime minister. He is a senior member of the ruling family of Kuwait, the Al Sabah family.
Al Khawalid, also spelled Al Khawaled, is a branch of the House of Khalifa, the ruling family of Bahrain. Al Khawalid is most often used to refer collectively to descendants of Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, which they are named after. The term also refers to brothers Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Royal Court Minister and Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa the Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force. For the purpose of this article, immediate descendants of Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa will be referred to as "the Khalids", the aforementioned two brothers will be referred to as "the Khawalid brothers" and the family branch collectively as "Al Khawalid".
Bahrain–Qatar relations are the bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Bahrain. They first began in 1971.
Hussain Mohammed Al Baharna is a Bahraini lawyer, legal scholar, author and former minister. He holds PhD in Public international law from University of Cambridge and was a legal adviser and Minister of State for Legal Affairs for Government of Bahrain for 26 years. During his tenure he participated in writing the draft of Bahrain's first constitution in 1973. He also held several international positions and has authored a number of books.
Bahrain–Iran relations are the bilateral relations between the countries of Bahrain and Iran. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, relations between the two countries have been strained over various geopolitical issues such as the interpretations of Islam, aspirations for leadership of the Islamic world, and relations with the United States, Europe, and other Western countries. In addition, Iran has been severely critical of Bahrain for hosting the United States Fifth Fleet within the Persian Gulf at the Naval Support Activity Bahrain base.
The kingdoms of Bahrain and Thailand share bilateral relations, established diplomatically in 1972.
Lieutenant General Adel al-Fadhel is a Bahraini soldier and politician.
