Bahrain is a pioneer in initiatives for people with disabilities, stressed Social Development Minister Osama Al Alawi.
During Parliament’s weekly session yesterday, he affirmed the government’s continued commitment to empowering people of determination, aligning national efforts with international conventions ratified by the kingdom.
“We are working within a clear national strategy to support persons with disabilities which began with the enactment of the 2006 law dedicated to their care and rights,” said the minister.
“The disability allowance has increased from BD50 to BD100 and we now provide a doubled allowance of BD200 for five categories of individuals with severe disabilities,” he added.
As of January this year, around 14,780 individuals benefitted from the disability allowance.
Mr Al Alawi highlighted that the support was not limited to financial aid.
“We are actively working to develop infrastructure and service centres for persons with disabilities,” he said, referring to an ambitious project currently under construction – the Comprehensive Disability Complex.
Described as one of the largest specialised projects in Bahrain, the complex will feature nine separate buildings designed to offer integrated services in rehabilitation, care and education, all adhering to international standards.
The ministry also oversees 12 licensed non-governmental centres.
“We aim to double our efforts and achieve new milestones in the rehabilitation and development of persons with disabilities,” Mr Al Alawi stated, expressing the ministry’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with the legislative authority to address citizens’ needs.
“The ministry is open to any initiatives that contribute to improving the reality for persons with disabilities in the kingdom, and reaffirm Bahrain’s commitment to the principles of social justice and equality.”
In a sharp response, Hisham Al Awadhi, who had summoned the minister over the disability issue in Bahrain, stressed the need for a transparent and fair mechanism to assess disabilities, calling for a significant increase in the monthly allowance and better employment opportunities suited to the capabilities and needs of persons with disabilities.
“Some neighbouring countries have set BD500 as a minimum disability allowance, while Bahrain still allocates only BD100 to most individuals, without any clarity on the evaluation process or its duration,” he said.
“This is unacceptable under the current difficult living conditions.”
He demanded doubling the disability allowance, especially since there are cases with severe disabilities whose applications for increased support have been rejected, despite obvious being in need.
Mr Al Awadhi also criticised the imposition of VAT on essential equipment and supplies for persons with disabilities, pointing out that this places an additional financial burden on families.
“The current BD100 allowance is not enough to cover even the most basic needs.”
Raising another concern, Mr Al Awadhi questioned the rationale behind the cancellation of the disability ID card.
“What is the justification for cancelling the disability card?” he asked.
“If the issue is financial, I am personally willing to cover the cost of issuing the card for all persons with disabilities.”
Highlighting shortcomings in disability employment practices, Mr Al Awadhi shared a troubling incident.
“Just yesterday, someone contacted me saying that the Labour Ministry, based on a recommendation from the Social Development Ministry, offered a person who uses a wheelchair a job as a truck (trailer) driver. This clearly shows a failure in properly assessing cases and dealing with persons with disabilities.”
In another response to a query by Strategic Thinking Bloc member Bassema Mubarak, Mr Al Alawi said Bahrain is regulating fundraising activities through the implementation of stricter legal and supervisory measures.
This follows the issuance and regulation of 425 licences for charitable fundraising during 2023 and 2024.
According to official statistics shared by the minister, 215 licences were granted in 2023, while 210 were issued in 2024.
The ministry also rejected one licence application in 2023 and three in 2024, underlining its commitment to due diligence and regulatory compliance.
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