His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V is the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, and the Chair of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). He became Imam in February 2025 upon the passing of his father, His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. He succeeded his father in accordance with historical Shia Imami Ismaili tradition on 4 February 2025. According to the official AKDN website, the Ismailis are a richly diverse community within the Shia branch of Islam. They number approximately 12 to 15 million, live in more than 70 different countries, and have distinct ethno-geographic and linguistic traditions.
Prince Rahim Aga Khan was born on 12 October 1971, in Geneva, Switzerland. He is the eldest son of the late Prince Karim Aga Khan and his first wife, Begum Salimah (Sarah Frances Croker Poole). He is the second of four children of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan. He was educated in the United States, receiving his secondary education at Phillips Academy Andover, Massachusetts (1990) and went on to graduate from Brown University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature.
Prince Rahim Aga Khan married Kendra Irene Spears on 31 August 2013 in Geneva. He has two sons, Prince Irfan (b. 11 April 2015) and Prince Sinan (b. 2 January 2017), from his former wife, Princess Salwa (Kendra Irene Spears). He is the fifth person in the family to hold the title Aga Khan.
As noted on the AKDN website, in the Muslim tradition, the Imam’s role extends beyond guiding the interpretation of faith – it also includes working to enhance the security and quality of life of his community, as well as the broader societies in which they live.
This blog post is dedicated to gathering and sharing links to the speeches, initiatives, and public engagements of Prince Rahim Aga Khan and other members of the Noorani family.
1. His Highness the Aga Khan and Houston Mayor John Whitmire open Ismaili Center, Houston
https://the.ismaili/speech/speech-by-his-highness-the-aga-khan-opening-of-the-ismaili-center-houston
https://the.ismaili/pk/en/news/mawlana-hazar-imam-graces-southwest-usa-jamat-with-didar