Another national Bahrainisation campaign to replace expatriates with citizens in the private sector has been launched by a member of Parliament.The campaign, being held under the slogan ‘With the Bahraini’, was announced by Mohammed Al Maarafi who said that many of the jobs available in the labour market can be filled by Bahrainis.He added that they are also suitable for the qualifications and aspirations of the Bahraini youth.

“The number of registered job-seekers is around 14,000 Bahrainis, in addition to those who are not registered for various reasons and workers who occupy jobs below their qualifications or those not satisfied with the quality of their jobs,” said Mr Al Maarafi.“Based on those official figures in addition to some estimates we can say that around 20,000 jobs are required to solve the unemployment problem.“There are approximately 500,000 jobs that are occupied by non-Bahrainis and the number of senior and administrative positions that suit a Bahraini citizen are estimated at no less than 120,000 out of those occupied by expatriates.“This suggests that there is a very large opportunity to find job opportunities for Bahrainis in a percentage of these jobs.”The GDN reported in May that Bahrainisation drives in the public sector were progressing at a rapid pace, with 84 per cent of jobs being occupied by Bahrainis.

Last month, Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan stated that implementing a minimum wage policy would be very costly for Bahrain and would not have a direct impact on reducing the unemployment rate among low-skilled citizens.He also said that zero unemployment was ‘practically impossible’ with thousands of graduates constantly entering the labour market, often exceeding the demand.He did, however, reiterate that Bahrainis remain the top priority for employers and that expatriates were being hired only in sectors where local talents were not available.

“This campaign mainly aims to encourage business owners and companies to list the jobs occupied by non-Bahrainis and present these vacancies to gradually replace them with citizens, while providing necessary training and preparation for fresh graduates,” added Mr Al Maarafi in a statement.“It is critical that this campaign receives huge media support in order to reach all concerned parties and gain their support and co-operation to produce the best desired results.“Companies will also be encouraged and invited to use the campaign slogan if they join it and are committed to the Bahrainisation of available jobs.”Mr Al Maarafi raised his appeal to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the government to adopt this campaign.

He stressed the importance of necessary support by directing the Labour Ministry, Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Bahrain Chamber and the Information Affairs Ministry as well as other authorities to participate.“The Labour Ministry must begin to co-ordinate between company owners and job-seekers, present the information required by both parties, follow up on the progress of the campaign and its results and the extent of the companies’ co-operation and credibility,” added Mr Al Maarafi.According to the latest figures released by the Labour Ministry, 14,163 Bahrainis were employed in the private sector in the first half of 2023 with 4,234 companies contributing to the employment programme.reem@gdnmedia.bh

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