Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Abdullah
Prince of Bahrain
Born (1975-06-30) 30 June 1975
Riffa, Bahrain
Spouse Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa
Issue
Issue
Isa
Salman
Noora
Hessa
House Al Khalifa
Father Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa
Mother Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa
Religion Islam

Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (born 30 June 1975) is the second son of the present King of Bahrain, Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah and his first wife, Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.

Like all members of the royal family, Abdullah sits as a senior member of the civil judiciary.[1]

Furthermore Abdullah has a personal love of music, and has fitted his palace in the Kingdom with a recording studio. He also has homes in Kensington, London and has a cottage in Devon, England. Musically he enjoys Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley, owns a vintage Gibson electric guitar, and rides a Harley Davidson.[2]

Abdullah is also chairman of the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Commission Internationale de Karting.[3]

Friendship with Michael Jackson

A long time friend of American pop legend Michael Jackson, Abdullah loaned his friend £2.2 million to pay legal fees after the singer was tried for child molestation in California in 2005. After the successful defence and dismissal of all charges, Abdullah invited Jackson, his children and personal staff to stay in Bahrain, which Jackson took up on 30 June 2005.[4][5]

As part of a plan to revive Jackson's career with the release of a new album,[6] after Hurricane Katrina Sheikh Abdullah suggested that Jackson record a song Abdullah had written as a charity single at a recording studio in London, "I Have This Dream."[7] Jackson undertook the recording session in London, but the single was never released through the co-owned record label 2 Seas Group. Jackson left the Kingdom in May 2006 for Ireland.

In November 2008, after trying to recover £4.7 million costs from Jackson which the singer said were gifts, Abdullah sued the singer through the mutually agreed High Court in London.[8] Abdullah claims that despite having paid the $2.2m (£1.5m) cost for Jackson to record a song intended to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the singer failed to attend the studio for the final recording and the song was never released. Bankim Thanki QC, representing Abdullah, told the High Court that the day after Jackson's criminal trial ended in California, that he recorded one of the songs which Abdullah wanted released as a charity single to help victims of the Indian ocean tsunami,[9] and that Sheikh Abdullah felt "a strong sense of personal betrayal" after forming "a close personal relationship" with the singer.[8]

Marriage and children

Sheikh Abdullah is married to Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa. She was member of the Supreme Council for Women between 2001 and 2004, is Permanent Member of the Board since 2004, Executive Director of Injaz Bahrain since 2005, Member of Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement, and Member of Young Arab Leaders of Bahrain. Together they have four children, two sons and two daughters:[10]

Titles, styles and awards

Styles of
Abdullah bin Hamad
Reference style His Highness
Spoken style Your Highness
Alternative style Sheikh

Titles and styles

Ancestry

References

  1. "History of the Judiciary". Kingdom of Bahrain, Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  2. Foster, Patrick (18 November 2008). "Sheikh 'wanted Michael Jackson to sing his songs'". The Times. London. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  3. "BMF's Chairman participates in regional meeting". Bahrain News Agency. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  4. "Michael Jackson 'in Bahrain trip'". BBC News. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  5. "Jackson settles down to his new life in the Persian Gulf". Gulf News. 28 January 2006. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2006.
  6. "Jackson to make album in Bahrain". BBC News. 19 April 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  7. "Sheikh 'planned Jackson revival'". BBC News. 17 November 2008. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  8. 1 2 "Jackson 'too sick' for court case". BBC News. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  9. "Michael Jackson failed to keep £4.6million music deal, says Bahraini prince". Daily Mail. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  10. Genealogy of the Al-Khalifa Dynasty, Page 10 - website The Royal Ark
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