Her Royal Highness studied in Bahraini Schools and attended several speicialised courses in the United Kingdom.
Personal Biography
Born in Muharraq in the palace of her paternal grandfather, the late Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa. She was brought up in Riffa in the care of her maternal grandfather. Her mother Shaikha Fatima bint Salman Al Khalifa is the eldest daughter of His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the former Ruler of Bahrain.
Her Royal Highness got married to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in 1968. They have four children (three sons and one daughter) and ten grandchildren (Six grandsons and four granddaughters). Their eldest son is His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister who was born in October 1969.
Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa
Education
Honors and Awards
2002
Her Royal Highness was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences by the China Women’s College, in appreciation of her active role in promoting women’s rights and welfare.
Her Royal Highness was awarded the Ahmed Al Fateh medal by His Majesty the King in appreciation of Her Royal Highness’s efforts towards the development and progress of Bahraini women in various fields.
2008
Her Royal Highness was awarded the Shaikh Isa First Class Order by His Majesty the King.
2009
Granted the award of the Arab Towns Organization for Her Royal Highness’s efforts towards empowering Bahraini women, and her continued interest in protecting the environment and spreading greenery.
Work Experience
Her Royal Highness presides over the Supreme Council for Women which was established in 2001 by Amiri Decree No. 44. The Council is the official reference for women’s activities and actions in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is primarily concerned with formulating the national strategy and general policies related to enhancing the role of women in several areas. www.scw.bh
On the Social Level
Her Royal Highness is the honorary president of several charitable societies such as the UCO Parents Care Centre, and the Bahrain Cancer Society. Her Royal Highness is keen on providing support to their activities in order to enhance the quality of services provided to all sectors of the society.
The First Lady
Since her marriage, Her Royal Highness has launched and overseen several initiatives to enhance the quality of life of Bahraini families with limited income or special needs to ensure further stability and social security.
As the First Lady, Her Royal Highness focuses on several important issues, including the participation of women in the development process and in enhancing projects aiming to assist families with limited income to diversify their sources of income, particularly in the area of handicrafts. Other areas of focus are youth and childhood, combating human trafficking, as well as peace and social security. She has also taken an interest in developing and preserving the environment and agricultural sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Youth Empowerment
Her Royal Highness has also shown interest in advancing the role of young men and women in formulating future strategies and providing them with the adequate qualifications as future leaders of women’s issues. This is reflected in the establishment of the Youth Committee at the Supreme Council for Women. As President of the Arab Women Organization (2005 – 2007), she oversaw the issuance of the first ever Arab Youth Strategy to support Arab women as partners in the nation-building process and addressing the challenges and problems facing Arab women from the perspective of supporting the principles of belonging and nationalism.
Environment, Wildlife and Greenery
Her Royal Highness established the National Initiative for Agricultural Development in the Kingdom of Bahrain with the aim to unify the efforts of the agricultural sector in order to further develop it economically, socially and environmentally.
Her Royal Highness encourages the preservation of the environment and greenery in the Kingdom through her patronage of numerous programs and exhibitions concerned with these issues. On a yearly basis Her Royal Highness inaugurates the Bahrain International Garden Show which has been developed to become a specialized exhibition according to international standards with the objective of attracting agricultural experts in order to bring back the agricultural image Bahrain has been known for.
Hobbies and Personal Interests of Her Royal Highness
Modern Sciences and Technology
Her Royal Highness is particularly interested in promoting modern sciences and technology and in encouraging scientific research. She has funded the electronic library of the Arab Women Organization which seeks to help researchers on issues related to women and provide them with relevant information on advanced experiences in other countries. http://elibrary.arabwomenorg.com
Bahraini Arts and Heritage
Her Royal Highness has great interest in Bahrain’s cultural and artistic heritage. She is an active advocate for the preservation of the historic Bahraini architecture which represents great national value. Her Royal Highness is known for her artistic talent as it is evident in her unique artwork.
Arabian Horses
Her Royal Highness has considerable experience and ability in the identification of thoroughbred pedigrees of Arabian horses. Her Royal Highness’ efforts and dedication to maintain breed purity contributed to classifying Bahrain as one of the first countries that protects those breeds, by the International Organization for Arabian Horses.