King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa was dubbed emir of Bahrain in 1999 when his father, Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, died. In 2002, Hamad declared himself king, making him the first king of Bahrain in the history of the country. His family, however, has ruled the country since 1783 and has always had a lot of power.
Despite continued turmoil in the Middle East, especially religious turmoil, King Hamad and his royal family (he has 12 children from a few wives) plan to host a New York City rabbi and some of his followers in Bahrain for the first time ever in 2018, The Jerusalem Post reported this year, which will ideally lead to more religious tolerance throughout the surrounding areas.
