A parliamentary proposal calling on labour fund Tamkeen to launch a specialised entrepreneurship programme for Bahrainis in the accounting, bookkeeping and auditing fields is set for debate and a vote on Tuesday.
The proposal has been submitted by five MPs led by Jalila Al Sayed, who believes it would curb rising unemployment among accounting graduates, improve professional standards and encourage the development of fully Bahrainised entrepreneurial ventures in the financial services support sector.
The MPs argue that the initiative is necessary to fill a structural shortage of licensed and registered accounting practitioners, enhance the quality of reporting across public and private entities and help young Bahraini graduates enter a profession that remains heavily reliant on expatriate labour.
Ms Al Sayed said the measure is critical to ensure that Bahraini talent takes a central role in a sector vital to the country’s economic governance.
“We have hundreds of capable Bahraini graduates every year who struggle to find meaningful opportunities due to market saturation by expatriate employees,” she said.
“A dedicated Tamkeen programme will empower our youth, raise professional standards and ensure that local expertise drives the growth of this essential sector.”
She added that entrepreneurship support would foster long-term sustainability.
“If we want a resilient and future-ready economy, then we must build Bahraini-owned firms that can compete, innovate and lead,” Ms Al Sayed noted.
In its formal response, Tamkeen reaffirmed its commitment to positioning the private sector as the engine of national growth.
The labour fund highlighted its existing support for the accounting and auditing sectors through professional certification financing and full coverage of relevant training costs, which it said had significantly strengthened Bahrainis’ technical competencies.
It also noted that it has launched several initiatives to build entrepreneurial capacity – including financial management training programmes – and confirmed that its existing support mechanisms already align closely with the goals of the parliamentary proposal.
The Youth Entrepreneurship Association endorsed the proposal, saying it would help bridge the skills gap between academic outputs and real market needs.
The association outlined several recommendations, including:
- Reviewing the performance of existing training institutions and improving their instructional capacity.
- Encouraging private-sector investment in new training centres through government support.
- Reactivating the Bahrain Training Institute and updating its programme offerings.
- Ensuring school and university specialisations are aligned with labour market demand.
- Expanding practical and field training opportunities for students.
After reviewing the responses of relevant authorities, the services committee issued a unanimous recommendation approving the proposal.
Committee chairman Mamdooh Al Saleh stressed that a specialised entrepreneurship programme would help Bahrain meet the growing need for qualified accounting professionals while opening pathways for self-employment and small-business development.
“This is not a proposal for the sake of debate, it is a practical solution to an urgent national challenge,” he said. “We look forward to the full Parliament endorsing it on Tuesday so that implementation mechanisms can begin as soon as possible.”
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