Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa


Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa was the first emir of Bahrain from 1961 until his death in 1999. Born in Jasra, Bahrain, he became emir upon the death of his father, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Early life and Reign

Isa was born in Jasra to Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Mouza bint Hamad Al Khalifa, the daughter of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and succeeded his father as emir upon his death in November 1961. He was installed in 16 December.
Isa visited Ayetollah Mohsin Al Hakim in Najaf in 1968 to indicate his keenness to reinforce relationships with the Shia.
During his reign, Bahrain gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. While the government initially considered joining the United Arab Emirates, Isa had his country withdraw over his dissatisfaction with the proposed constitution. He then attempted to introduce a moderate form of parliamentary democracy, and men were given the vote in parliamentary elections in 1973. In August 1975, however, he dissolved Parliament because it refused to pass the government-sponsored State Security Law of 1974. The parliamentary system was never restored in his lifetime and forced the emir to contend with occasional protests from the leftist and Islamist camps, which reached their peak in 1994.
During his reign there was an arrangement between him and his brother, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman, whereby the Emir was assigned a diplomatic and ceremonial role, while Khalifa controlled the government and economy as Prime Minister.

Marriage and children

Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa had one wife, his cousin Sheikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa, daughter of Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa. They married on 8 May 1949. They had five sons and four daughters:
During his 38 years as Emir, the economic transformation of Bahrain into a modern nation and a key financial center in the Persian Gulf area took place. Nevertheless, critics note that he also dissolved Parliament, taking on absolute power.
Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa died of a heart attack on 6 March 1999 at the al-Sakhir Palace in Sakhir, shortly after a meeting with the United States defense secretary William Cohen. He was 67. The last function he attended was the funeral of King Hussein, which took place was less than a month before his death.
US President Bill Clinton expressed "deep sadness" at the news of the emir's death calling him "a good friend of peace." UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also expressed "great sadness," and described the emir as "a force for stability" in the region. He was buried at the Al-Rifa'a cemetery.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Foreign honors