MANAMA: A top government official has denied a report claiming that work permits for expats working in 38 occupations will not be renewed from next month as part of efforts to promote Bahrainisation.

The report published on Arabia Today website said Bahrain authorities were planning new measures against expatriates aged between 30 and 58.

It said this was part of the Labour and Social Development Ministry’s efforts to reduce the dependence on expatriates and replace them with Bahrainis.

The 38 professions included occupations such as driver, pharmacist, secretary, public relations jobs, human resources officer, receptionist, security guards and other administration posts.

The article went viral with several residents circulating WhatsApp messages.

“Let me make it clear to everyone there is no such project or system targeting expatriates in Bahrain,” said ministry Under-Secretary Sabah Al Doseri yesterday.

“Expats have contributed immensely to the national economy and there is no such project that prohibits them from working in the occupations mentioned in the article.”

He said there was a national plan to promote Bahrainisation but that will not affect qualified expatriates from working in the country.

The National Employment Programme was launched last month to increase Bahrainisation quotas, increase the allowance given to unemployed Bahrainis and redesign Tamkeen’s Training and Wage Support Programme.

The strategy will increase fees associated with the Parallel Bahrainisation System (BD300 to BD500) and the Flexible Work Permit (BD200 to BD500) in a bid to incentivise companies to hire Bahrainis instead of expatriates. “Expatriates will stay in Bahrain and other Gulf countries for a long time as the economies in these states are growing,” said Mr Al Doseri.

Parliament launched a probe last month into the recruitment of expats in Bahrain’s public sector.

According to latest data, the number of foreign workers in Bahrain was 600,857 by the end of second quarter last year, while 158,814 Bahrainis were employed.

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