Public expat workers exceed budget by BD26 million: MP

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Public sector spending on expat employees has surged beyond its approved budget by more than BD26 million, MP Dr Mahdi Al Shuwaikh has revealed, warning that hidden expenses could weigh more heavily on state finances than official figures suggest.

Dr Al Shuwaikh criticised the overspend, noting that while the government had allocated 124 million dinars for foreign staff, actual expenses had exceeded BD150 million.

“This isn’t just a budgeting slip — it’s unchecked spending on perks and privileges many Bahrainis can only imagine,” he said.

He drew attention to over BD180,000 being paid in car allowances and an additional BD160,000 in communication allowances for foreign public sector workers.

“The vast majority of Bahrainis don’t get such benefits,” he pointed out, questioning why these expenses were allowed to balloon.

Concerns

Dr Al Shuwaikh also raised concerns about less obvious costs, such as healthcare and free education for the children of foreign employees.

“Many foreign staff have their children educated in the kingdom for free, while qualified Bahrainis remain jobless or are forced to seek work abroad,” he remarked.

He urged the government to rethink its hiring policies and prioritise Bahraini talent, particularly those with specialised degrees.

Graduates

“We have a wealth of Bahraini graduates, including those with rare qualifications, who are either unemployed or working overseas,” he said.

In response, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs HE Ghanim Al Buainain confirmed that 5,800 non-Bahraini employees currently work across ministries, agencies, and government bodies governed by the Civil Service Law, with most employed in health and higher education.

“Nearly 90 per cent of them — around 5,220 employees — are concentrated in these two essential sectors,” he explained.

Addressing concerns about recent hiring, the minister said 133 non-Bahraini employees were brought in on temporary contracts during 2023 and 2024, mainly for academic and medical roles.

Urgent needs

“They were recruited to meet urgent needs in higher education institutions and public healthcare services,” he said, adding that health centres have already achieved full Bahrainisation.

Al Buainain’s comments came during a parliamentary session yesterday in response to Dr Al Shuwaikh’s formal Question about foreign hires in the past two years.

Defending the recruitment drive, the minister stressed that the foreign staff brought in were filling highly technical positions for which there were no suitable Bahraini candidates at the time.