Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi



His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr al Qasimi (born Dubai, February 10, 1956) was appointed Supreme Council member and new Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates on October 27, 2010. Sheikh Saud is the fourth son of Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad al-Qassimi,his predecessor as UAE Supreme Council Member and previous Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, who died October 27, 2010.[1] The UAE Federal Supreme Council congratulated His Highness Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi on succeeding his father, after the Emirates Supreme Council endorsed his rule.

Muhammad V of Kelantan



Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Muhammad V (Tuanku Muhammad Faris Petra; born 6 October 1969), is the Sultan of the Malaysian state of Kelantan. He was proclaimed Ruler in September 2010, succeeding his father, Sultan Ismail Petra, who is considered incapacitated by illness.

Ibrahim Ismail of Johor



Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Iskandar Al-Haj or Sultan Ibrahim III (born 22 November 1958)is the 25th and incumbent Sultan of Johor. Between 1981 to 2010, Sultan Ibrahim was the Tunku Mahkota of Johor under his father's tutelage, Sultan Iskandar. The title "Tunku Mahkota" (or "Tengku Mahkota" in some states) is the Malay title for the Crown Prince.

A motorcycle enthusiast, Sultan Ibrahim is well-known as the founder of the annual motorcycling tour event, Kembara Mahkota Johor.[6] Nevertheless, occasional press reports of alleged incidents of assault involving him, have generated brief controversies among the Malaysian public.

Emir Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla of Umm al-Quwain (United Arab Emirates)



Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla (born 1 October 1952) is the current ruler of Umm Al Quwain and also a member of Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates.[1] He is the son of Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mu'alla. He became the ruler of Umm Al Quwain on 2 January 2009 after his father died.

Muhriz of Negeri Sembilan of Malaysia.



Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir (born 14 January 1948) is the eleventh Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan



Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (Dzongkha: འཇིགས་མེད་གེ་སར་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་དབང་ཕྱུག་, born 21 February 1980) is the fifth Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan and head of the Wangchuck dynasty. He became king on 14 December 2006, and was officially crowned on 6 November 2008.

King George Tupou V of Tonga

George Tupou V (Tongan: Siaosi Tupou V, full name: Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou V), (born 4 May 1948) is the current King of Tonga.

George Tupou V (Tongan: Siaosi Tupou V, full name: Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou V), (born 4 May 1948) is the current King of Tonga.

Tuheitia Paki Māori king in New Zealand



Tuheitia Paki, KStJ (born 21 April 1955) is the current Māori king in New Zealand. He is the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successor and crowned on the same day as her tangihanga (funeral rites) took place, on August 21, 2006. His official title has not yet been decided but it is understood it will not be Te Arikinui (the great leader / chief), his mother's title.

He was educated at Rakaumanga School in Huntly, Southwell School in Hamilton and St Stephen's College in Bombay.

On 27 November 2007, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of St John, which was upgraded to a Knight in 2010.

Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Emir of Kuwait



Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Arabic: صباح الأحمد الجابر الصباح Sabāh al-Ahmad al-Jābir as-Sabāh; born June 16, 1929) is the Emir of Kuwait. Sheikh Sabah was sworn in on January 29, 2006 after confirmation by the National Assembly of Kuwait. He is the fourth son of the late H.H. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, a former Emir of Kuwait. Sheikh Sabah is the head of the ruling Al-Sabah family. Currently, he is introducing many new projects in Kuwait to increase the tourism industry. He is also a strong advocate for women’s rights in the Middle East.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum absolute monarch of Dubai.



Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Arabic محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم; Muḥammad bin Rāshid al Maktūm), also Sheikh Mohammed, (born July 22, 1949), is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and absolute monarch of Dubai.

Abdullah of Saudi Arabia



King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, (Arabic: عبد الله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎) (born August 1, 1923) is the current King of Saudi Arabia.

On August 1, 2005, he succeeded to the throne upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. Previously, as Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1996 to 2005. He has been Commander of Saudi Arabian National Guard from 1962 to November 2010. He is one of the world's wealthiest royals.

Pope Benedict XVI Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the head of the Roman Catholic Church.



Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus PP. XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on 16 April 1927) is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the head of the Roman Catholic Church. He was elected on 19 April 2005 in a papal conclave, celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on 24 April 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, on 7 May 2005. A native of Bavaria, Pope Benedict XVI has both German and Vatican citizenship. He succeeded John Paul II.

After a long career as an academic, serving as a professor of theology at various German universities (he formally remains a professor at the University of Regensburg), he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome when he became Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the most important offices of the Roman Curia. At the time of his election as Pope, he was also Dean of the College of Cardinals, and as such the primus inter pares among the cardinals.

Like his predecessor, Benedict XVI is theologically conservative and his teaching and prolific writings defend traditional Catholic doctrine and values. During his papacy, Benedict XVI has advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increased secularisation of many developed countries. He views relativism's denial of objective truth, and the denial of moral truths in particular, as the central problem of the 21st century. He teaches the importance of both the Catholic Church and an understanding of God's redemptive love. He has reaffirmed the "importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work." Pope Benedict has also revived a number of traditions including elevating the Tridentine Mass to a more prominent position.

Pope Benedict is the founder and patron of the Ratzinger Foundation, a charitable organisation, which makes money from the sale of his books and essays in order to fund scholarships and bursaries for students across the world

Albert II, Prince of Monaco



Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco(Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the current ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and the American actress Grace Kelly. His sisters are Caroline, The Princess of Hanover, and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and emir of Abu Dhabi



Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Arabic: خليفة بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان‎; born 25 January 1948; referred to as Sheikh Khalifa) is the current President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and emir of Abu Dhabi. He succeeded to both posts on 3 November 2004, replacing his father Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who had died the day before. He had effectively been acting president earlier, since his father was in ill health.

He is the current chairman of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).

Norodom Sihamoni King of Cambodia



Norodom Sihamoni (Khmer: នរោត្តម សីហមុនី, born 14 May 1953) is the King of Cambodia. He is the eldest son of Norodom Sihanouk and Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. Previously Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO, he was named by a nine-member throne council to become the next king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004. Before ascending the throne, Sihamoni was best known for his work as a cultural ambassador in Europe and as a classical dance instructor.

Sharafuddin of Selangor



In full, Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj also known as Sultan Sharafuddin or Sultan Idris Shah is currently the sultan of Selangor, Malaysia. He ascended the throne on 21 November 2001.

He was the son of the previous Sultan, Sultan Salahuddin.

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg



Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg OIH (given names: Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume; born at Betzdorf Castle in Betzdorf, Luxembourg, 16 April 1955) is the head of state of Luxembourg. He is the eldest son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. His maternal grandparents were King Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden. He is a nephew of the current King of the Belgians, Albert II.

Sirajuddin of Perlis



Raja Syed Sirajuddin ibni Syed Putra Jamalullail (born 17 May 1943) is the current Raja of Perlis, serving since 17 April 2000. He served as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 13 December 2001 to 12 December 2006 and 7th Raja of Perlis since 2000

Mohammed VI of Morocco



Mohammed VI, GCVO (Arabic: محمد السادس‎) (born 21 August 1963 in Dar al-Makhzin, Rabat) is the present King of Morocco and Amir al-Mu'minin. He ascended to the throne on July 23/30, 1999.

Paku Alam IX of Pakualaman (Indonesia)



Paku Alam IX (born 1938) is the current traditional ruler of Pakualaman, in central Java in modern Indonesia. He succeeded as Paku Alam on the death of the last ruler, Paku Alam VIII on 11 September 1998, and was formally installed as Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Arya Paku Alam IX on 26 May 1999.

King Otumfuo Osei Tutu of the Ashanti



King Otumfuo Osei Tutu, is the 16th Asantehene, King of the Ashanti. He ascended the Golden Stool on 26 April 1999. By name, he is in direct succession to the founder of the Empire of Ashanti, Otumfuo Osei Tutu I.

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain



Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, (Arabic: حمد بن عيسى آل خليفة‎; born 28 January 1950, Riffa, Bahrain) is the King of Bahrain (since 14 February 2002), having previously been its emir (from 6 March 1999). He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous emir.

Abdullah II of Jordan



Abdullah II bin al-Hussein OIH (Arabic: الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين‎, al-Malik ʿAbdullāh aṯ-ṯānī bin al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah is a member of the Hashemite family. Abdullah has been married to Queen Rania of Jordan since 1993 and his mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Emir of the State of Qatar



Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Arabic: الشيخ حمد بن خليفة ال ثاني‎; born on 1 January 1952) is the ruling Emir of the State of Qatar since 1995.

Sheikh Hamad was the appointed Heir Apparent of Qatar between 1977 and 1995 and at the same time Minister of Defense. In the early 1980s he led the Supreme Planning Council, which sets the Qatar's basic economic and social policies. Starting in 1992, Hamad had a growing responsibility for the day-to-day running of the country, including the development of Qatar's oil and natural gas resources. On 27 June 1995, after deposing his father in a coup, Sheikh Hamad became Emir of Qatar and was crowned on 20 June 2000.

Albert II of Belgium



Albert II (born 6 June 1934) is the current King of the Belgians and a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He is the second son of the late King Leopold III (1901–1983) and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden (1905–1935). He ascended to the throne in 1993, upon the death of his older brother, King Baudouin. His godparents were Prince Felix of Luxembourg and his paternal grandmother, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. He is the first cousin of King Harald V of Norway, Princess Astrid of Norway, and Princess Ragnhild of Norway.

Muwenda Mutebi II of Buganda



Ronald Edward Frederick Muwenda Kimera Mutebi II (born 13 April 1955) is the reigning Kabaka of the Kingdom of Buganda, a kingdom in modern-day Uganda. He is the thirty-sixth (36th) Kabaka of Buganda.