[3] However, the building was abandoned after his death at the palace in 1942, and remained locked and the windows shuttered for decades afterwards as a sign of respect.

[4][5] For years the palace stood isolated, although after the discovery of oil in 1928 in Bahrain the island developed considerably in other areas.

In April 2011 Bahrain honored Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah by giving him the historic Ajrab sword of Imam Turki bin Abdullah and the Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa Medal at ceremony at Al-Sakhir Palace.

[8] The palace is built in the traditional Islamic fashion, common in the Middle East, white, consisting mainly of grand arches and columns, a dome and an imposing minaret which towers above.

[9] Sheikh Hamad had also visited England for the first time, along with his wife, son and brother, to buy plumbing fixtures and furniture for his Sakhir Palace.