Successively grandson, son, brother and uncle of the ruler of Bahrain, Prince Khalifa ben Salmane Al-Khalifa died on Wednesday. He was the oldest prime minister in the world.
The emirate of Bahrain has lowered its flags at half mast. Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa died this Wednesday, November 11, 2020, two weeks before his 85th birthday. He died in the United States where he was hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the official Bahraini news agency BNA reported. Famous for being the oldest prime minister in the world, he was appointed to this post on December 16, 1971, during the independence of this island state of Arabia. Either almost 49 years ago.
Born on November 24, 1935, Prince Khalifa was the second son of the hakim (this is what the monarch of Bahrain was once called) Salman II. When he was born, it was his grandfather Hamad who was the ruler of the country, then under British protectorate. His father reigned from the latter's death in 1942 to 1961, then it was his brother's turn, Issa ben Salmane Al-Khalifa from 1961 to 1999, and finally his son, his nephew, Hamad II. Who, holding the title of Emir until 2002, proclaimed himself King of Bahrain on that date.
Bahrain's Crown Prince becomes Prime Minister
BNA clarified that Sheik Khalifa's burial ceremony would take place after the repatriation of his body, and that - due to the Covid-19 epidemic - his funeral would be limited to a number of relatives. An official one-week mourning has been declared. That same November 11, King Hamad II issued an ordinance appointing the new prime minister. This is none other than his son, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, 51 years old.
