Bahrain

 

Bahrain Appoints Women to Council

September 30, 2000
Bahrain Appoints Women to Council

Bahrain’s Consultative Council appoints non-Muslims and women to its panel for the first time, including a Christian woman and a Jewish businessman.

GCC Defense Efforts

December 30, 2000
GCC Defense Efforts

Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE sign a regional defense pact

Bahrain Referendum

March 2, 2001
Bahrain Referendum

A referendum is held concerning political reform, and citizens strongly call for a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament and an independent judiciary.

Bahrain-Qatar Border Dispute Resolved

March 30, 2001
Bahrain-Qatar Border Dispute Resolved

Qatar settles border disputes with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Al-Wefaq Founded

November 30, 2001
Al-Wefaq Founded

The Al-Wefaq opposition movement is founded.

Bahrain Becomes Constitutional Monarchy

May 1, 2002
Bahrain Becomes Constitutional Monarchy

The country is now a constitutional monarchy with an elected lower parliament and allows women to stand for office. Elections are held and over 50% of the country votes, despite local Islamists’ call for a boycott.

Backlash Against Torture

May 1, 2003
Backlash Against Torture

Thousands of citizens who claim to have been tortured petition the king for the right to sue previous torturers.

Bahrain Appoints Female Minister

April 8, 2004
Bahrain Appoints Female Minister

First female cabinet member, Nada Haffadh, is appointed to the position of health minister.

U.S.-Bahrain Trade Pact

September 8, 2004
U.S.-Bahrain Trade Pact

The government signs a free trade pact with U.S., while Saudi Arabia expresses discontent that this move could hinder regional integration.

Protests in Bahrain

March 11, 2005
Protests in Bahrain

Protesters begin marching for an elected parliament, instead of absolute control by the king.

Bahrain Offers Amnesty

September 26, 2007
Bahrain Offers Amnesty

Bahrain extends amnesty to thousands of illegal foreign workers.

Bahrain Appoints Jewish, Female Ambassador

May 28, 2008
Bahrain Appoints Jewish, Female Ambassador

The government appoints a Jewish woman, Houda Nonoo, as its ambassador to the United States. She is the first Jewish, female ambassador from the Arab world.

Pardoned Prisoners

April 30, 2009
Pardoned Prisoners

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa pardons more than 170 prisoners, most of whom were accused of endangering national security, including 35 Shiites.

Bahraini Elections

October 31, 2010
Bahraini Elections

Bahraini Elections favor Shia opposition group, the Islamic National Accord Association, allowing it to retain previous gains.

Arab Spring in Bahrain

February 28, 2011
Arab Spring in Bahrain

Bahraini security forces are aided by Saudi Arabian soldiers to successfully suppress Arab Spring protesters. Shia Muslims blamed for the protests and many are detained; reports of torture surface.      

Arab Spring Anniversary

February 29, 2012
Arab Spring Anniversary

Bahraini police break up an attempt by protesters to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Arab Spring demonstrations. Renewed protests spark again and activists are jailed.

Shia Withdraw from Negotiations

September 30, 2013
Shia Withdraw from Negotiations

Shia activists withdraw from negotiations with the government after party leader is arrested.

Bahrain Government Talks Resume

January 31, 2014
Bahrain Government Talks Resume

The government and Shia groups resume talks. The main Shia opposition group, Wefaq, is banned from upcoming parliamentary elections. Shia citizens boycott the election, claiming the governmental procedure is a sham. The government arrests leader of the Wefaq movement, inciting protesters to clash with security forces.

Bahrain Joins the Fight in Yemen

March 31, 2015
Bahrain Joins the Fight in Yemen

Bahrain joins the GCC states in launching airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

League of Arab States Oppose Iraq War

March 1, 2016
League of Arab States Oppose Iraq War

Leaders of the League of Arab States, led by Bahrain, convene in Sharm el-Sheikh to strongly oppose a potential Iraq war and call for Saddam Hussein to comply with UN WMD inspectors

Top Shia cleric found guilty of money laundering

May 21, 2017
Top Shia cleric found guilty of money laundering

A court in Bahrain on Sunday convicted the spiritual leader of the country’s Shi’ite Muslims of collecting funds illegally and money laundering and sentenced him to one year in jail suspended for three years.

Bomb attack kills policeman

October 27, 2017
Bomb attack kills policeman

Militants attacked a Bahraini police bus killing one policeman and wounding eight others.

Discovery of countries largest oilfield

April 8, 2018
Discovery of countries largest oilfield

A new discovery off the coast of Bahrain is estimated to contain at least 80 billion barrels of tight oil, the kingdom’s biggest ever find.