Hassanal Bolkiah

Sultan of Brunei since 1967

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February 22 2024 Delivered a speech on Brunei's 40th National Day, emphasizing national unity, independence, and the country's achievements in workforce development and international indices.
October 2023 Spoke at the ASEAN-GCC Summit, advocating for peace efforts in the Middle East and supporting humanitarian efforts for Palestinians.
October 22 2023 Procession of Decorated Vehicles, Opening Ceremony of Eco-Corridor Park (Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas), and Mass Junjung Kasih and Kesyukuran Ceremony
October 18 2023 Tahlil Ceremony held at the Royal Mausoleum in Bandar Seri Begawan
October 14 2023 Opening Ceremony of Sungai Kebun Bridge (Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge), featuring a Procession of Decorated Floats and Firework Display in Bandar Seri Begawan
October 11 2023 Khatam Al Quran Ceremony conducted at Istana Nurul Iman
October 8 2023 Doa Selamat and Closing of Gendang Jaga-Jaga Ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman
October 6 2023 Royal Banquet held at the Banquet Hall of Istana Nurul Iman
October 5 2023 Royal Parade and Audience Ceremony takes place at Indera Buana Throne Hall, followed by a Royal Procession through Bandar Seri Begawan
October 4 2023 Mass Fardhu Maghrib and Isya Prayers and Doa Kesyukuran held at Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque in Kampong Kiarong
October 3 2023 The Opening of Gendang Jaga-Jaga Ceremony held at Lapau, Bandar Seri Begawan, marking the start of Golden Jubilee celebrations for Hassanal Bolkiah
June 9 2023 Visited the Kingdom of Bahrain at the request of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
November 18 2022 Met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bangkok.
September 19 2022 Attended Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London with Prince Abdul Mateen, and approved flying the national flag at half-mast as a sign of respect.
2021 Served as chairman of ASEAN Summit.
April 1 2021 Received the COVID-19 vaccination at the royal residence Istana Nurul Iman in Bandar Seri Begawan and subsequently approved a gradual public vaccination program.
May 2020 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hassanal Bolkiah swiftly implemented lockdown procedures, banned foreigners from entering Brunei, and prevented nationals from leaving the country to control the virus spread.
June 6 2019 Honorary doctorate from King's College London was rescinded due to controversial laws in Brunei.
May 6 2019 Returned the Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Oxford.
April 2019 Royal College of General Practitioners withdrew the sultan's honorary Companion status due to anti-LGBT laws, and the sultan subsequently announced a moratorium on capital punishment for homosexuality and commitment to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture.
April 17 2019 Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Aberdeen was revoked.
April 3 2019 Legislation introducing capital punishment for homosexuality and adultery by stoning became effective, leading to widespread international protests and calls for boycotts of Bruneian royal family-owned businesses.
March 23 2019 Conferred the Honorary Doctorate Islamic Leadership from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia.
October 2 2018 Disclosed during a YSHHB Committee of Governors meeting that over $115,000 had been embezzled from the organization between 2004 and 2016, involving five employees in eight instances of breach of trust.
December 2 2017 The Royal Regalia Building was renamed to the Royal Regalia Museum in honor of the Sultan's golden jubilee celebration.
October 22 2017 The Eco-Corridor Park was inaugurated during the Sultan's Golden Jubilee celebrations.
October 14 2017 As part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge was officially opened.
October 5 2017 Celebrated Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years of reign. Declared a public holiday, becoming the third monarch in Brunei's history to reach this milestone.
October 2 2017 Forum Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB) commenced across all four districts of Brunei (Brunei-Muara, Tutong, Belait, and Temburong) in conjunction with the Golden Jubilee Celebration, continuing until 12 October 2017.
October 1 2017 Flag hoisting ceremonies began nationwide as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebration, continuing until 31 October 2017.
July 5 2017 Made his fourth state visit to Singapore, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
August 2016 Commemorated 40 years of bilateral defence relations with Singapore.
December 25 2015 Implemented a ban on public Christmas celebrations for local Muslims, though non-Muslims were still allowed to celebrate privately.
October 22 2015 Appointed himself as Brunei's Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing his younger brother Prince Mohamed Bolkiah in a cabinet reshuffle.
September 30 2015 Spoke at the UN about the significance of the organization and endorsed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
February 9 2015 Hassanal Bolkiah led his team to victory in the Richard Mille Exhibition Polo Match, defeating the white team 7-5 in a charity competition.
February 8 2015 Hassanal Bolkiah competed in and won the Richard Mille Gold Cup, a charity polo match held at Royal Brunei Polo and Riding Club (RBPRC) Jerudong in support of the Children's Cancer Foundation (YASKA).
April 2014 Sultan implemented a Sharia law penal code that included severe punishments such as death by stoning, limb severing, and flogging for various crimes including same-sex relationship acts, sparking international controversy.
April 22 2014 Declared the implementation of strict Islamic criminal penalties, including potential punishments like flogging, limb amputation, and stoning, sparking domestic and international controversy.
2013 Served as chairman of ASEAN Summit.
2013 Expanded the 'Sultan's Scholar' Scholarship Scheme to include educational support up to the Doctor of Philosophy degree.
January 2013 Royal College of General Practitioners designated the sultan as the first Companion of the college for services to healthcare in Brunei and abroad.
March 2012 Prince Jefri made a public appearance at The Legco (Legislative Council) opening ceremony.
April 21 2011 Awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy and humanities from Universitas Indonesia.
April 14 2011 Conferred the Honorary Doctorate of Law by King's College London (KCL).
June 16 2010 The Grand Chamberlain announced the Sultan was divorcing his third wife and would strip her of all royal titles after five years of marriage.

This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles Golden Jubilee of Hassanal Bolkiah & Hassanal Bolkiah, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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