Expats may be barred from taking up jobs in six fields in Bahrain

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EXPATRIATES may soon be barred from taking up positions in six professions – medicine, aviation, legal, accounting, banking and education – following a heated parliamentary debate.

MPs yesterday unanimously approved a proposed legislation submitted by five legislators, led by second deputy speaker Ahmed Qarata, during the weekly session.

It also suggests a two-year grace period to remove all existing expat workers in the sectors from the date the legislation received approval by both Parliament and the Shura Council.

Under the proposed bill, which was debated for around three hours, the minister concerned would be obliged to draw up a strategy for replacing the foreign residents with Bahrainis, following Cabinet approval.

“Bahrainis aren’t being given the chance to get these high quality jobs,” claimed MP Mohammed Janahi. “All they hear are hollow excuses that they are either incompetent, unqualified or lack the necessary skills, even without being given the chance for tests, tryouts or assessments.

“A Bahraini who applied for a flight attendant job was rejected by the national carrier because he fell short by one centimetre of the required height, yet at the same time hired expat flight attendants and air hostesses are put up in four-star hotel accommodation.”

MP Hanan Al Fardan claimed that an unnamed private school was charging BD5 to accept CVs from Bahraini university graduates. “It tells job seekers that the fees cover the time it takes to read them and management has the right to accept or reject extending a possible job offer.

“How can this happen in a country that says it’s proud of its national graduates?”

Strategic Thinking Bloc spokesman MP Khalid Bu Onk said that expats were taking senior positions when Bahrainis were just looking for a decent career.

“Look at what’s happening in major companies, human resource departments are saturated with expats, and they take the opportunity to bring in their own people – relatives or others of their nationality,” he said.

“There are claims that young Bahrainis are not qualified for top posts, so why aren’t they even considered for mid-range jobs?”

MP Bassema Mubarak added that most local universities had expat deans and heads of departments, while there were suitable Bahrainis who could ‘match or outsmart them’.

“The higher education system should be managed by Bahrainis because they are well aware of the necessary education and skills required for jobs in the local labour market,” she said. “Expats in those posts mostly don’t have a clue.”

Parliament’s first deputy speaker Abdulnabi Salman said that expats commenting on the proposals on social media had suggested MPs were ‘only speaking rubbish’. “It is time for the government to prove them wrong and put national employment plans on a proper course,” he added.

The Labour Ministry said in writing that the government was already prioritising jobs for citizens, which was reflected in the rise in employment across many sectors.

The Bahrain Chamber called for a rethink by MPs, saying the legislation could hinder business operations, as an employer would have no alternatives to fill vacancies should the number of qualified Bahrainis be limited.

The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions, however, backed the move, saying employers should take the initiative to hire nationals and train them when necessary.

In 2019, former MPs wanted to ban expat recruitment in 35 professions in Bahrain’s private sector.

The full list of jobs reserved only for Bahrainis included fields such as education, currency exchange, accounting and marketing.

The demand was in direct response to another proposed bill, which called for complete Bahrainisation in all sectors – and fines of BD5,000 to BD20,000 for companies that still hired expats. The bills also envisaged closing companies that persisted with expat recruitment.

Both proposals did not see the light of day as they were dropped in 2022 before new MPs were elected.

Meanwhile, parliament yesterday also voted unanimously on a proposal to establish a national observatory for jobs, presented by five MPs, led by services committee chairman Mohammed Al Hussaini. The Labour Ministry said the observatory already exists in Bahrain under a different platform and name.

Twenty-two MPs approved a proposal by Mr Qarata to establish a Planning Ministry, while six rejected it and the rest abstained.

MPs unanimously voted in favour of a proposal by five MPs led by Mr Qarata to oblige the government to diversify sources of income and rely less on oil and gas resources.

The Economic Development Board (EDB) told MPs that direct foreign investment in Bahrain had reached 85 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which was the highest in the GCC.

The government will now have six months to draft all legislations into proper law and refer them back to the National Assembly for consideration.