Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Nawaf Al Maawda has stressed the government’s commitment to engaging positively with parliamentary proposals, reaffirming that mosques and places of worship remain a top national priority in line with directives from His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
“Mosques are given priority following directives to ensure they are fully ready through maintenance, decorations and necessary arrangements prior to Ramadan,” Mr Al Maawda told MPs.
He revealed that licensing procedures for a number of mosques - particularly in Hamad Town - have already been completed, adding that an annual list is implemented under royal directives to prepare and open new mosques, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
Addressing the Bankruptcy Law, Mr Al Maawada, who is acting Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister, said it was natural for any newly-enacted legislation to undergo review following real-world application.
“Any new law needs time to be evaluated, challenges identified and gaps addressed in line with market developments,” he said, stressing that such reviews are carried out in co-operation with the legislative authority to ensure the law keeps pace with economic realities.
“We issue regular decisions to govern the law and will continue to do so,” he added.
On visa-related issues, Mr Al Maawda underlined that decisions are governed by sovereign, security and administrative considerations. “Visa approvals or rejections are not based on nationality, religion or race,” he said. “Each case is studied individually according to specific administrative, financial and security criteria.”
He added that visa refusals are not necessarily permanent and are subject to periodic review, noting that the Interior Ministry remains the competent authority to receive and access applications.
The remarks came during marathon parliamentary discussions on 30 Cabinet replies to 30 parliamentary proposals, which witnessed robust debate on economic, social and service-related issues.
Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee chairman MP Ahmed Al Salloom welcomed the government’s clarifications, but urged a stronger focus on tangible outcomes.
“We appreciate the efforts made to support the private sector, but the real measure of success lies in impact,” he said, questioning how many companies had actually been rescued from bankruptcy or restored to financial stability.
He noted that many of the programmes cited dated back to the Covid-19 period, while economic challenges continue to evolve.
“Small and medium-sized enterprises remain the most vulnerable, and they require rapid, direct intervention before reaching the stage of closure or bankruptcy,” he said, calling for an early-warning system to detect financial distress.
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