A record 3,685 Bahrainis have recently been hired, including 32 people of determination, acting Labour Minister and Legal Affairs Minister Yousif Khalaf announced yesterday.
He urged sceptics to verify the figures for themselves, stressing that ‘nothing is fabricated’, contrary to claims being made in this regard.
The minister also revealed that job interview procedures have been overhauled with an aim to resolve disputes between applicants and employers.
Speaking during Parliament’s weekly session yesterday, the minister said the Labour Ministry has scrapped the submission of ‘interview results’ – a system that frequently led to conflicting accounts between applicants and employers – and replaced it with a simpler, fully documented, attendance-based process.
Previously, employers were required to submit post-interview reports to inform the ministry whether a candidate had accepted or rejected a job offer.
“As of November 30, the ministry no longer issues any assessments related to interview outcomes,” he told MPs.
“This mechanism caused repeated disagreements between jobseekers and employers. From now on, we will only record whether the applicant attended or did not attend the interview. With this, the problem will no longer arise.”
He stressed that the ministry will not register any applicant as having ‘rejected’ a job. Instead, it will take steps to encourage jobseekers to pursue the opportunities available on the national employment platform.
Responding to questions on national employment numbers, Mr Khalaf noted that 3,685 Bahrainis have been hired recently – figures he said were “fully verified”.
“These numbers are confirmed by four separate government bodies – the Labour Ministry, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, the Information and eGovernment Authority and the Social Insurance Organisation,” he said. “Anyone who doubts them is welcome to check. We are ready for any verification.”
He added that all details on employment are published, including the names of hiring companies, and revealed that 32 people of determination were among those recruited recently.
Mr Khalaf also highlighted new measures approved in November to strengthen transparency in the ministry’s appeals system.
“We do not claim perfection, mistakes can occur,” he said. “But we have restructured the grievances committee and updated the procedures to ensure full neutrality and transparency. All decisions are issued based on official documents submitted to the committee.”
He reaffirmed that jobseekers retain an undiminished right to take their case to court.
“Litigation is a constitutional right,” he added.
The minister also responded to queries regarding claims that a dentist had been automatically nominated for a photographer’s post.
He insisted the national employment platform does not – and cannot – match Bahrainis to unsuitable vacancies.
“The system does not allow such a nomination,” he said. “In this case, the applicant herself applied for the position. We will verify the details, and if an error occurred, I will stand before you and apologise.”
The minister’s comments come as the government pushes ahead with plans – directed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in September – to ensure every Bahraini jobseeker receives at least three employment opportunities before the end of 2025.
“The ministry has scaled up employer outreach and expanded vacancy listings on the national platform, with the goal of accelerating the hiring of Bahrainis across the private sector,” he said.
Meanwhile, MPs unanimously voted to triple the time frame allotted for submitting their closing financial statements.
This means that MPs will have time until March 31, rather than January 31, pending approval from the Shura Council on amendments to the 2002 Parliament Bylaws Law.
A debate on a legislation to establish the National Fund for care and support of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) has been postponed for four weeks.
The government-drafted legislation – based on a proposal by five MPs from the Strategic Thinking Bloc, led by Ahmed Al Salloom – has been withdrawn to allow further negotiations.
All topics involving Education Minister Dr Mohammed Mubarak Juma, including his replies to parliamentary questions or legislations, have been postponed to an unscheduled date.
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