Bahrain New Work Rules now allow foreign workers to take temporary jobs with companies other than their sponsoring employer, for up to 90 days. Until now, expatriates were not allowed to work for any company except the one that sponsored them. The change is meant to give foreign workers more room to take short-term assignments, provided they keep a valid work permit throughout the period.
What the new rules change
The rules aim to make Bahrain's labour market more flexible. Companies can bring in foreign workers for short-term projects without becoming their original sponsors. The arrangement is time-limited, and temporary employment can run for no more than 90 days.
The rules also tie the worker's permit to the temporary period. As long as the permit stays valid for the entire stretch of temporary work, the worker can take up the new role. Bahrain's rules are built around the idea that a worker's current sponsor and the new employer should both remain in compliance.
Fees and how arrangements are filed
The new employer must pay an additional fee if its target Bahrainization rate is lower than that of the worker's current employer. Bahrainization refers to the share of Bahraini nationals a company is expected to employ. The fee is decided by comparing the two companies' rates, not by the type of work being done. The report does not give the amount of this additional fee.
Separately, employers must pay an administrative fee of BHD 5, which is the Bahraini dinar, when they submit an application. All temporary employment arrangements must be submitted and managed through the Labour Market Regulatory Authority's Expat Management System. The LMRA is the body that regulates Bahrain's job market and the permits held by foreign workers.
What the report does not say
The available material is a single news report. It does not include a statement from an official, and it does not give a start date for the rules. It also does not describe the steps for obtaining a work visa, the rules for overtime or annual leave, or any separate visa changes. Readers should confirm the exact terms with the LMRA before acting on the new rules.
For foreign workers in Bahrain, the main change is the option to take a short job with another employer for up to 90 days. Anyone considering such a move should first check that their permit will remain valid for the full period.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Bahrain ne naye work rules jaari kiye hain jin ke tehat foreign workers 90 din tak dusri company ke liye temporary kaam kar sakte hain. Pehle unhein sirf apne sponsor employer ke liye kaam karne ki ijazat thi. Agar aap wahan kaam ka soch rahe hain to dekhein ke aapka work permit poore arse tak valid rahe. Fees aur filing ke liye LMRA ki taraf se mazeed tafseel ka intezar karein.
