.jpg?20260313')
The proposal, submitted by five MPs led by Jalila Al Sayed, will also probe the mechanisms used to close job-seeker files and suspend unemployment benefits.
Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam yesterday instructed that elections be held to fill the committee’s positions.
Ms Al Sayed said the inquiry was rooted in the state’s constitutional obligation to protect citizens’ rights to social security and employment.
“What we are seeking is clarity, transparency and fairness in how job opportunities are managed and how citizens are treated when their files are closed or their benefits are stopped,” she said.
She stressed that the committee would not be ‘a political exercise’ but a fact-finding mission aimed at safeguarding citizens’ livelihoods. “This inquiry is about people’s lives, their stability and their dignity,” she added. “There are complaints from job-seekers who say vacancies exist on paper, but not in reality, and that benefits are sometimes suspended without clear justification.”
According to the proposal, the inquiry committee will verify the actual number of job vacancies recorded at the Labour Ministry and the procedures followed to fill them, and examine the mechanisms and criteria used to close job-seeker files.
It will also review the procedures governing the suspension or termination of unemployment benefits.
MPs backing the inquiry said the committee would assess whether existing procedures align with the objectives of unemployment insurance and labour market policies, and whether vacancies are being effectively matched with Bahraini job-seekers.
“The goal is to ensure that unemployment benefits are a safety net, not a source of anxiety,” Ms Al Sayed said. “If there are flaws in implementation, they must be corrected.”
With the committee now formally approved, it will begin summoning officials, reviewing ministry data and examining regulations before submitting a final report with recommendations to the House.
Ms Al Sayed said the findings would be shared transparently with the public. “This committee will work to ensure that labour policies serve their intended purpose – creating real job opportunities and protecting people during periods of unemployment,” she said.
&uuid=(email))