82% of Foreign Workers in Bahrain Hold Jobs Unattractive to Citizens, Says Ministry of Labor

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Eighty-two per cent of expats in Bahrain are working in jobs avoided by locals, with most earning less than 200 dinars a month, the Ministry of Labour has revealed.

Responding to a parliamentary investigation into Bahrainisation, the ministry said the labour market depends heavily on foreign workers in low-skilled roles. It pointed out that 72 per cent of expats earn below 200 dinars, while only 7 per cent are in highly skilled jobs earning more than 600 dinars.

The ministry provided a detailed breakdown, showing that 350,000 expats—making up 74 per cent of the foreign workforce—are employed in sectors such as construction, restaurants, hotels, workshops, and garages. Most of these workers have qualifications no higher than high school.

In the public sector, the Civil Service Bureau confirmed that foreign workers are required by contract to train Bahraini counterparts, ensuring a transfer of skills and paving the way for locals to take over their roles. This policy supports the government’s efforts to prioritise Bahraini talent while benefiting from foreign expertise.

Currently, there are 6,390 foreign workers in government roles, representing 16 per cent of the public sector workforce. Most are employed in education and healthcare. Bahrainis have already fully replaced foreign staff in healthcare centres, with further replacements planned.

Despite Bahrainis making up 82 per cent of government employees, their numbers have dropped to 41,000 due to a voluntary retirement scheme. However, public sector recruitment remains focused on Bahrainis, with 6,036 locals employed between 2020 and 2023, including over 1,000 last year.

Foreign workers in the public sector are hired only when qualified Bahrainis are unavailable. The Bureau ensures this by conducting internal postings and checking its job database, which currently holds over 14,000 applications. Renewal of contracts for foreign workers is conditional on interviews to assess whether a Bahraini is ready to take over. Foreign staff include 60 in advisory positions, alongside 3,525 in education, 2,157 in healthcare, 417 in engineering, and 231 in technical roles.

The Bureau stressed the need for a steady approach to Bahrainisation to avoid disruption. Temporary contracts are often issued to allow new Bahraini recruits time to meet job requirements, and part-time contracts are used for task-specific roles. All foreign workers’ contracts include clauses mandating training for Bahrainis.

Budget constraints remain an obstacle in some cases, though the Bureau said it processes recruitment requests quickly when a clear need arises. It also oversees Bahrainisation plans implemented by government entities to ensure compliance with legal requirements. Since 2019, the number of foreign public sector workers has dropped by 15 per cent, from 7,000 to 6,390.

The Ministry of Labour also addressed challenges in the private sector, noting that many Bahraini graduates struggle to find jobs due to a mismatch between their qualifications and market demands. Fields like law, media, and literature were singled out as having limited opportunities.

This has contributed to Bahrain’s 18,218 registered job seekers, 70 per cent of whom are university graduates, and 73 per cent are women. Meanwhile, the ministry reported that 256 people lost unemployment benefits last year after refusing job offers.

Its job bank currently lists about 4,000 vacancies, many in fields considered less appealing to Bahrainis, such as welding, electrical work, and other trades.

To address these challenges, the ministry is working with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) to train job seekers and support private companies in covering salaries for Bahraini employees.

The Civil Service Bureau is also planning to require private companies contracting with the government to hire more Bahrainis. It aims to encourage the private sector to play a greater role in Bahrainisation, as most expatriates in Bahrain work outside government roles. A new customer service project is set to launch this year, with the budget already allocated.

Finally, the Ministry of Labour said it intends to gradually increase the optional parallel fee, with all funds collected being reinvested into training and developing citizens. The ministry also called on universities and colleges to align their programs with market needs, noting that mismatched qualifications remain a key obstacle to employment.