Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa

Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa has been the ruler of Bahrain since 1999. A member of the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty, he has reigned as King of Bahrain since 2002, having previously reigned as emir. He heads an authoritarian regime where political and civil freedoms are substantially curtailed. After the Arab Spring, the regime substantially cracked down on political freedoms and civil liberties in Bahrain revoking the citizenship of hundreds of people in the course of the years.