Wide-ranging measures have been taken by the Labour and Legal Affairs Ministry to implement the royal directive mandating the provision of three job opportunities for every registered job-seeker.
Labour and Legal Affairs Minister Yousif Khalaf revealed that thousands have already secured employment under the initiative.
Responding to a parliamentary question by MP Hassan Ibrahim, Mr Khalaf said the ministry moved ‘immediately and decisively’ following the directive issued on September 28 by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Mr Ibrahim
“The royal directive represented a clear national priority, and the ministry mobilised all its resources, partnerships and technical capabilities to ensure its implementation within the specified timeframe,” Mr Khalaf said.
He explained that the ministry worked closely with Tamkeen, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and the Bahrain Chamber to activate a comprehensive action plan, focusing on accelerating job matching, expanding employer participation and increasing daily interviews.
Working hours at the ministry were extended from 7am to 7pm, additional interview halls were opened, staffing levels were doubled and parking capacity expanded to accommodate the surge in job-seekers.
At the same time, the National Employment Platform was technically upgraded in co-ordination with the Information and eGovernment Authority to prevent service disruptions.
According to the ministry, 17,402 job-seekers were registered in 2024 – of these, 10,325 hold bachelor’s degrees or higher, 3,092 hold diplomas, and 6,153 have secondary education or below. Male job-seekers accounted for 12,196 registrations, compared with 5,206 females.
As of December 7, a total of 9,685 job-seekers had received three or more interviews, while 3,685 confirmed as employed, with employment verified only after registration with the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO).
“This figure does not represent the full employment outcome,” Mr Khalaf said. “Recruitment procedures at private-sector establishments take time, and we expect the number of employed beneficiaries to continue rising.”
The minister confirmed that 2,516 private-sector establishments posted vacancies on the National Employment Platform during the implementation period, including government-owned and semi-government companies. Details of job titles, salaries and specialisations were submitted to Parliament in an official appendix.
Mr Khalaf stressed that vacancies are vetted before being published to ensure compatibility with salary levels, qualifications and academic specialisations.
“The system does not allow job-seekers to apply for positions that do not match their qualifications,” he said. “The choice ultimately rests with the job-seeker, who applies directly through the platform after reviewing all job details.”
Interviews are conducted at the ministry’s premises, with ministry staff present to ensure transparency and provide guidance if candidates are not selected.
Job-seekers can also track application outcomes electronically and submit complaints or inquiries through dedicated digital services.
Addressing concerns about sustainability, Mr Khalaf said the ministry has put strict monitoring mechanisms in place to protect Bahrainis from dismissal after wage support ends. Establishments found to have terminated nationals for subsidy-related reasons face legal action and are barred from advertising vacancies.
Wage support has also been capped at 30pc in the third year to discourage dependency, while labour supply tenders are excluded entirely from subsidy schemes.
“The ministry’s objective goes beyond placement,” Mr Khalaf said. “It is about stability, career growth and safeguarding Bahraini preference in employment.”
He confirmed that the ministry remains committed to completing the directive by the end of the year and is preparing periodic evaluation reports to measure its impact on reducing unemployment.
“We will continue our constructive co-operation with Parliament to achieve the shared national goal of sustainable employment for Bahrainis,” he added.
MP Mohammed Al Olaiwi
Meanwhile, MP Mohammed Al Olaiwi, alongside four other MPs, have submitted a proposal calling for permanent jobs to Bahrainis working on temporary or part-time contracts in the government. He said Civil Service Commission statistics show 83 Bahrainis are on temporary contracts and 152 on part-time contracts out of 30,670 registered civil servants.
“These employees do not receive the same benefits as their full-time counterparts, such as overtime pay, nor can they access financial services like loans or credit cards, which require job stability,” said Mr Al Olaiwi.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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