Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa is ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States, a post he has held since 2017. Prior to becoming ambassador, Al Khalifa coordinated with United Nations regional agencies and U.S. nongovernmental organizations to further advance internal Bahraini government programs. 

Previously, Al Khalifa was head of educational affairs for the Royal Family Council as well as director of education and the Social Affairs Directorate. In 2007, Al Khalifa was named director of planning and follow-up for the General Organization for Youth and Sports and the following year became the organization’s human resources director. In March 2010, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa appointed Al Khalifa to a four-year term as governor of Bahrain’s Southern Governorate, the largest such political division. In 2016, King Hamad granted him an Honorary Distinction Award recognizing his gubernatorial achievements and contributions. 

Al Khalifa played an active role in drafting Bahrain’s National Anti-Drug Strategy, launched in 2016, in conjunction with the regional office of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. He served as a member of the Bahrain Olympic Committee from 2008-17, including as the committee’s treasurer. He was previously president of Bahrain’s Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation, president of the Asian Bodybuilding Federation, and a member of the board of directors of the Bahraini Archery Federation.  

Al Khalifa graduated from Bentley College (now Bentley University) with a B.S. in management in 2001 and an MBA in 2003. Bentley opened a Bentley in Bahrain program in 2002.