Abdullah Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa
Encyclopedia
Sheikh
Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (born June 30, 1975) is the second son of the present King of Bahrain
, Sheikh Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah
and his first wife, Queen Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
Like all members of the royal family, Abdullah sits as a senior member of the civil judiciary
.
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.
pop legend Michael Jackson
, Abdullah loaned his friend £2.2million 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.
As part of a plan to revive Jackson's career with the release of a new album, 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." 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. 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. Mr 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
, and that Sheikh Abdullah felt "a strong sense of personal betrayal" after forming "a close personal relationship" with the singer.
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (born June 30, 1975) is the second son of the present King of Bahrain
King of Bahrain
The King of Bahrain is the monarch and head of state of Bahrain. Between 1783 and 1971, the Bahraini monarch held the title of Hakim, and, from 1971 until 2002, the title of Emir...
, Sheikh Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah
Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is the King of Bahrain , having previously been its Emir . He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous Emir.-Early life and education:...
and his first wife, Queen Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
Like all members of the royal family, Abdullah sits as a senior member of the civil judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
.
Abdullah has a personal love of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, and has fitted his palace in the Kingdom with a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. He also has homes in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and has a cottage in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Musically he enjoys Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
, owns a vintage Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, and rides a Harley Davidson.
Friendship with Michael Jackson
A long time friend of AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop legend Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Abdullah loaned his friend £2.2million to pay legal fees after the singer was tried for child molestation in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
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.
As part of a plan to revive Jackson's career with the release of a new album, after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
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." Jackson undertook the recording session in London, but the single was never released through the co-owned record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
2 Seas Group. Jackson left the Kingdom in May 2006 for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
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
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
in London. 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. Mr 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
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
, and that Sheikh Abdullah felt "a strong sense of personal betrayal" after forming "a close personal relationship" with the singer.
Marriage and children
Sheikh Abdullah is married with HH 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 Jazz Bahrain since 2005, Member of Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement, and Member of Young Arab Leaders of Bahrain. Together they have three children, two sons and one daughter:- HH Sheikh Isa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa (born 1999)
- HH Sheikh Sulman bin Abdullah Al Khalifa (born 2003)
- HH Sheikha Nora bint Abdullah Al Khalifa (born 2000)
Titles and styles
- 30 June 1975 - 6 March 1999: Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa
- 6 March 1999 - 14 February 2002: His ExcellencyExcellencyExcellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa - 14 February 2002 – present: His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa