Ali Abdulla Al-Ubaydli
Encyclopedia
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
. At the turn of the 20th century, he was behind building the first modern port in Bahrain which was an important step in modernising the country. He also took part in the first attempt to supply the capital city with fresh water. The two wells he built gave water to local residents and to Bahrain's pearl divers.
Ali also supported the creation of the first modern school in Bahrain and, when the first school opened for girls, he encouraged his daughters to enroll. One of his great-grandsons, Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, created a scholarship in his memory.