The Shura Council will on Sunday debate a legislation that seeks to grant employers an additional 30-day grace period to renew expired work permits for foreign employees, before being subject to penalties.
The chamber’s services committee has recommended rejecting a proposed amendment to Article (26) of the 2006 Labour Market Regulatory Law, saying that its objectives are already being fulfilled through a more recent legislative update.
The committee, chaired by Dr Jameela Al Salman, determined that the change originally presented by Parliament was unnecessary and potentially counterproductive, given that the Decree-Law No (12) of 2024, which amended Article (40) of the same law, already introduced flexible reconciliation measures for similar violations.
The Labour Ministry and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) both opposed the amendment, warning that the additional 30-day period could disrupt inspection procedures and create unjustified discrepancies between compliant and non-compliant employers.
The LMRA noted that employers are already notified well in advance of permit expiry – six months, three months, one month – and again on the expiry date, through emails, text messages, and the “Tajer” mobile app.
The committee also highlighted that Decree-Law No (12) of 2024 had already addressed the issue of minor delays by allowing employers to pay a reconciliation fee within 30 days of a permit’s expiry – an arrangement that avoids court referrals while maintaining regulatory control.
Supporting the bill, the Bahrain Chamber cited its potential to ease administrative burdens on businesses.
However, the committee pointed out that even if the bill were enacted, Article (23) of the Labour Market Law would still prohibit the employment of foreign workers without valid permits, rendering the amendment ineffective in practice.
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