A landmark advertising law designed to curb violations and modernise the sector has been unanimously approved by the Shura Council.
Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak yesterday said the reform was vital as advertising market has become more sophisticated and Bahrain can no longer depend on a half-century-old framework.
“For more than 50 years, we have worked under a collection of outdated regulations,” he said, at the opening of a debate over the new law.
“The advertising market has expanded and diversified. We now need a modern law that protects public safety, preserves our visual environment and allows us – as regulators and licensors – to keep pace with changes while still enabling private sector participation.”
He stressed that the ministry will remain the primary authority despite delegating certain support functions to other entities.
“Private firms may assist with technical or support work, but we remain the regulator and the licensing authority,” he said.
“Penalties must be meaningful. A BD50 fine is no longer a deterrent in today’s market. Whether it is a single advertisement or multiple ones, the penalty will depend on the licence, and ultimately the judge determines the appropriate sanction.
“What matters is safety, compliance and public decency.”
The law tightens controls on advertising placements, expands definitions to include digital and illuminated formats, and significantly increases penalties for violations.
A referral vote will be taken next week to send the bill to His Majesty King Hamad for ratification.
The bill, endorsed by the council’s public utilities and environment affairs committee, amends key provisions of the 1973 Advertising Law, bringing it into alignment with the scale and complexity of today’s advertising landscape.
Committee rapporteur Ejlal Bubshait said the law aims to reorganise the advertising sector in a way that ensures efficiency, shields it from harmful practices and provides mechanisms for faster and more streamlined licensing.
She also highlighted a key innovation – enabling the ministry, with Cabinet approval, to delegate certain tasks to specialised entities.
“This gives the ministry flexibility similar to what we see in construction licensing, where experienced engineering offices have improved service speed while adhering to legal standards,” she said.
“The same goal applies to advertising, especially given the growth in ad formats and licensing requests – without placing additional financial burdens on citizens.”
Committee chairman Dr Mohammed Hassan said the amendments were necessary to restore order.
“Today’s advertising market is vast, diverse and nothing like what existed in 1973,” he said. “The amendments give the ministry stronger authority to monitor violations and protect both lives and the kingdom’s visual identity.
Penalties now multiply with each violation – every advert must have its own licence, and every breach has its own consequence.”
Under the revised Article 16, violators face imprisonment and fines ranging from BD1,000 to BD20,000 for offences that include unlicensed advertising, false permit applications, obstructing inspectors or using illegal methods to obtain authorisation.
The law also obliges courts to order the removal of illegal advertisements and require violators to restore the site at their own expense. Article 17 increases the penalty for damaging licensed ads from BD50 to BD1,000.
Shura second vice-chairwoman Dr Jihad Al Fadhel questioned whether delegating inspection tasks amounted to a form of privatisation and how penalties would be enforced on foreign advertisers with no physical presence in Bahrain.
Member Dr Ibtisam Al Dallal sought clarity on the scope of licensing.
“Are licences issued for advertising locations or for the content?” she asked. “Are municipalities responsible for all advertisements or only those displayed on public structures and buildings?”
Member Dr Abdulaziz Abul highlighted concerns about penalty multiplication in digital spaces. “If an illegal advertisement appears in multiple newspapers or across social media pages, will each instance be treated as a separate offence?” he asked.
“We live in an age of free expression, and penalties must be proportionate.”
Member Dr Hani Al Saati called for a unified advertising statute. “Our current regulations are scattered across ministries. We need a single, comprehensive law to classify and define all forms of advertising,” he said.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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