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.