MPS have been urged to reconsider a proposed law to establish a dedicated financial support account for low-income Bahrainis, with the government warning that it could undermine public budget principles and reduce flexibility in managing state finances.
The proposal would allocate $1 from every barrel of oil exported outside Bahrain whenever prices exceed $40 a barrel.
The money would be placed in a special account to provide annual financial assistance to heads of Bahraini household, divided into three categories according to their monthly support entitlements.
However, the government said creating a separate account linked to a specific revenue source could conflict with the constitutional principle that state revenues and expenditures must be managed through the general budget.
Meanwhile, the government has also urged Parliament to reconsider a proposed law allowing Bahraini housewives to enrol voluntarily in social insurance.
Officials said the plan lacks sufficient financial studies and could undermine the sustainability of the insurance system.
The draft legislation would allow housewives to pay voluntary contributions based on a monthly income bracket of up to BD500, with entitlements covering old age, disability, death and lump-sum compensation.
The government acknowledged the importance of protecting housewives from financial hardship but argued that the proposal does not adequately address how the new insurance category would fit into the existing system.
Parliament is also set to discuss other key proposals and draft laws. They include:
1) Health tourism
Parliament has been urged to reconsider a Shura Council-proposed law regulating health tourism after the government identified legislative shortcomings that it says could undermine licensing, oversight and the implementation of the proposed framework.
The draft law, referred to Parliament by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, seeks to regulate health tourism services and support the development of a sector that combines healthcare with tourism.
The government said the proposed legislation lacked provisions establishing a prior licensing mechanism for entities providing health tourism services, despite licensing being essential to verify compliance with technical, professional and administrative requirements.
The government argued that health tourism extends beyond medical treatment to include accommodation, transport, reception, tourism programmes, marketing and other supporting services.
In addition, it also highlighted the proposed introduction of a ‘health tourism visa’ without sufficient detail on its legal basis, eligibility requirements, application procedures, validity, renewal or the authority responsible for issuing it.
2) Renewable energy
MPs are set to debate a Shura Council-proposed renewable energy law that aims to encourage clean energy production, regulate connections to the electricity distribution network and promote investment in the sector.
However, the government’s memorandum argues that much of the proposed legislation is already covered by existing regulations, particularly a 2017 decision governing the connection of renewable energy production units to the electricity distribution system.
That framework already establishes technical and administrative requirements, regulates surplus electricity supplied to the grid, and sets out the obligations of producers and the competent authority.
The government said it supported the objectives of expanding clean energy, improving energy security and reducing carbon emissions in line with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, but stressed that any new legislation must fit within the existing regulatory framework.
3) Abortion regulations
The Cabinet has backed a Shura Council-proposed law to revise Bahrain’s abortion regulations, introducing stricter medical safeguards while allowing termination in cases involving severe fetal malformations or incurable mental disabilities before 120 days of pregnancy.
Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa forwarded the government-backed draft to Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam.
The government’s memorandum sets out a series of amendments to the original proposal, aimed at balancing the protection of the pregnant woman’s health and life with the preservation of human life and relevant Sharia, legal and medical considerations.
Under the revised provisions, abortion would be permitted where medical evidence establishes that a fetus would be born with a severe malformation or an incurable mental disability for which there is no hope of recovery, provided the pregnancy has not exceeded 120 days.
The condition must be confirmed by a medical committee comprising three consultant physicians licensed to practise in Bahrain: an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist, a paediatrician and a consultant in the medical field relevant to the diagnosed condition.
The committee’s report must detail the nature and severity of the condition, establish that it is incurable and explain the absence of any prospect of recovery, based on approved medical examinations and scientific standards.
The government has also proposed that abortion medication be prescribed, or the procedure performed, by a licensed consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at a government hospital or an authorised private hospital.
4) Expansion of Salman Industrial City
Bahrain is seeking up to $330.07 million (around BD124.5m) in Islamic Development Bank financing to expand Salman Industrial City, under a draft law referred to Parliament by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The proposed legislation seeks to ratify framework and agency agreements signed between Bahrain and the bank on June 19, 2026, to finance the industrial city expansion project.
According to the government’s explanatory memorandum, the financing will cover the purchase and supply of assets required for the project through a deferred-sale arrangement, under which the bank will supply the assets before selling them to Bahrain under agreed terms.
The draft has been referred to Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee, with the legislative and legal affairs committee also asked to examine it.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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