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. On 14 February 2002, the then-Emir of Bahrain,
Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa, declared Bahrain a kingdom and proclaimed himself the first king.