I don't order laws, I propose them.

I care about Bahrain.

Bahrainis are better off than many other Arabs. We have a welfare state, everybody gets a salary whether they have a job or not. Electricity and food are subsidized; school and healthcare are free. And we don't differentiate between Bahrainis and foreigners. We are very proud of that.

Bahrain is very dear to me.

It's good to have a leader, otherwise we argue too much.

If somebody gives me his hand, I will not look at him with suspicion.

Along with our friends in the GCC, the first order of business is stability. Beyond the imperative of stability, the most important priority is job creation for all Bahrainis.

If people have done something wrong then they should be held accountable.

In establishing democracy, we have to be sensitive to the regional and national context. Democracy also means to guarantee the rights of the minorities. That's my job as a king. We have for example a Jewish ambassador in the US and a Christian in the UK.

No king should rule absolutely, like a dictator.