.jpg?20260305')
Ministries, authorities and government institutions subject to the Civil Service Law employ 36,292 Bahrainis, representing 87 per cent of the total workforce, it was revealed for the first time yesterday.
Of these, 36,180 Bahrainis (99.7pc) are employed under the permanent employment system, while 112 Bahrainis work on temporary contracts, accounting for 0.03pc of Bahraini employees.
Bahrain’s civil service remains overwhelmingly staffed by nationals, while wide-ranging organisational reforms have reshaped dozens of government bodies since the start of the current legislative term, Parliament has been told.
Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain, who is politically responsible for the Civil Service Commission (CSC), outlined the figures and reforms in written replies to parliamentary questions, stressing that employment and restructuring policies are driven by efficiency, transparency and the principle of equal opportunity.
“The civil service legislation has laid down a comprehensive legal framework regulating employment, appointment methods and job evaluation in government entities, ensuring fairness, clarity and alignment with actual institutional needs,” Mr Al Buainain said.
“The limited use of temporary contracts for Bahrainis is linked to specific functional needs, such as positions associated with municipal council meetings, while ensuring that those employees remain protected under the law,” he added.
The minister reiterated that civil service employment is, as a rule, reserved for Bahrainis.
“Non-Bahraini recruitment is permitted only on temporary contracts and only when no suitably qualified Bahraini candidate is available, in line with Article (11) of the Civil Service Law, and with the obligation to train Bahraini staff during the contract period,” he added.
Currently, 5,361 non-Bahraini employees work in government entities subject to the Civil Service Law, making up 13pc of the total workforce. All are on temporary contracts, typically for one to two years, renewable as required.
“They are concentrated mainly in specialised and critical sectors such as health, education and higher education, which together account for about 91pc of non-Bahraini employees,” Mr Al Buainain said.
Examples of specialisations include consultant physicians, cardiac perfusion specialists, neurology, genomics, hydrogeology, marine and aerial surveying, plant protection, and major infrastructure and bridge projects.
The CSC also disclosed that there are 241 advisers currently working across ministries and government bodies. Of these, 203 are Bahrainis (84pc) and 38 are non-Bahrainis (16pc).
“Advisory positions are by nature highly specialised and require advanced qualifications and extensive experience,” Mr Al Buainain said.
“Their role is to identify shortcomings, propose solutions, support senior management and help improve government performance and service quality.”
In response to a separate parliamentary question, Mr Al Buainain revealed that since the beginning of the sixth legislative term, the Civil Service Commission has studied, reorganised and restructured 37 government entities, with the necessary legal instruments issued for each.
“These restructuring exercises are based either on proposals from the entities themselves or on the Commission’s own initiative where strategic or operational needs require changes,” he said.
He added that each restructuring process involves a comprehensive review of organisational structures, job titles and responsibilities.
“The objective is to raise efficiency, improve the distribution of duties, introduce modern tasks and specialisations, and ensure alignment with newly-established responsibilities and national priorities,” Mr Al Buainain explained.
He stressed that recruitment across government remains tightly regulated by civil service legislation.
“All appointments must be based on actual need, the availability of an approved vacancy within the organisational structure, the job ceiling and the approved budget,” he said.
He highlighted the continued application of Civil Service Instruction No (3) of 2014, which governs appointment rules and requires interviews to be conducted in the presence and under the supervision of a CSC representative.
In addition, government entities are required to advertise vacancies internally through the CSC’s electronic portal and the ‘Government Employee’ application before seeking candidates from outside the public sector.
“This internal mobility system is designed to preserve and make optimal use of existing competencies and experience within the civil service,” Mr Al Buainain noted.
Concluding his replies during yesterday’s session, Mr Al Buainain reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparent, merit-based employment and continuous institutional development.
“Our aim is to ensure that the civil service remains efficient, flexible and capable of meeting the evolving needs of citizens and national development,” he said.
The replies were for questions by services committee vice-chairman MP Abdulwahid Qarata and MP Ali Al Dossary.
The replies by Mr Al Buainain were scheduled urgently as a replacement to three replies by Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, who apologised in an official letter for not being able to attend.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))