Latest news with #non-Bahrainis
Daily Tribune
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Bilaj Al Jazayer opens to foreign property buyers
Foreign ownership of property in Bahrain has been widened to include Bilaj Al Jazayer, under a decision issued by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The measure amends Decision No. 43 of 2003, which governs the purchase of land and built properties by non-Bahrainis. New maps have been issued, replacing earlier versions that marked ownership zones across the Kingdom, including those covering the Muharraq and Southern Governorates. An additional entry, numbered (5), has been added to the table of investment and tourism projects where foreigners may buy real estate. Bilaj Al Jazayer is now among the areas open to non-Bahraini ownership. Decision The decision follows a submission by the Deputy Prime Minister and has been passed by the Cabinet. It draws upon the provisions of Decree-Law No. 2 of 2001, which regulates foreign ownership of land and property in Bahrain. The changes take effect the day after the decision appears in the Official Gazette.
Daily Tribune
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
74% of tour guides are Bahraini, ‘all licensed'
Tourism Minister, Her Excellency Fatima Al Sairafi, told Parliament yesterday that 74 per cent of tour guides in Bahrain are citizens, all licensed and certified by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA). She was speaking in response to remarks from MP Mohammed Janahi, who raised several concerns during the session. In reply, Al Sairafi defended the ministry's performance and said Bahrainis remain at the heart of the government's tourism plans. 'There are several points raised by the MP,' she said. 'Unfortunately, some of them are not accurate.' She said Vatel College of Hospitality is an accredited institution in Bahrain and that its students are employed while still studying. 'Sixty-two per cent of Vatel graduates are Bahrainis,' she told MPs. 'They are working in the hotel and hospitality sector in the Kingdom, which in itself shows the importance of this sector and the value the ministry and the authority place on bringing Bahrainis into it.' The Minister added that this approach falls under the tourism strategy launched in 2022. Al Sairafi said she welcomed the MP's call to make better use of the college and confirmed a new qualification is in the pipeline. Feasibility study 'At the moment, Vatel offers a bachelor's degree,' she said. 'We are working to introduce a master's degree soon. I would also like to support the MP's suggestion that the college offer short-term development courses. That is already under way. We are preparing a feasibility study with those involved in the tourism sector, inside and outside Bahrain.' Turning to training, she said the system for guides had been changed. 'There may have been training in 2015,' she said. 'But in 2023, we changed the whole training structure and worked with the UN World Tourism Organisation to ensure a full and proper programme for tour guides. This was a joint effort between the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority and the government bodies involved.' Oversight She also addressed the issue of oversight. 'The MP mentioned regulation, which is important,' she said. 'In 2023, the licensing and inspection directorates were separated. We are now preparing a new decision that will contain clear regulatory tools to stop these kinds of practices.' Al Sairafi noted that this policy shift has already produced results. 'The rise in the number of Bahrainis working as tour guides is clear,' she said. MP Janahi had referred to Decision No. (3) of 2005 on the regulation of tour guiding. Al Sairafi acknowledged that it states Bahrainis have priority, but she pointed out that Article 7 of the same decision allows for exceptions. 'The authority is allowed to grant licences to non-Bahrainis in certain cases,' she said, 'for example, to provide services in languages that Bahrainis may not speak. In the 2022 strategy, we targeted several tourist markets, including many countries in Europe.'
Daily Tribune
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Authority named for cultural and artistic institutions
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, yesterday issued Edict (26) of 2025 naming the competent administrative authority and the minister responsible for cultural and artistic associations, clubs, and private institutions of a cultural and artistic nature, and defining their respective specialisations. The edict was issued based on a submission by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and following the approval of the Cabinet. The edict stipulates that under Article (I), the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) shall be the competent administrative authority, and its president shall be the competent minister for cultural and artistic associations, clubs, and private institutions of a cultural and artistic nature, as stipulated in Decree-Law (21) of 1989 concerning social and cultural associations, clubs, private entities operating in the field of youth and sports, and private institutions. The Authority and its president shall exercise the powers set out in this law. Under Article (II), Edict (7) of 2012 concerning the designation of the competent administrative authority and the minister responsible for cultural associations and defining their powers shall be repealed. HRH Prince Salman also issued Edict (27) of 2025, amending certain provisions of Edict (43) of 2003 concerning the regulation of areas in which non-Bahrainis may own property in the Kingdom of HRH Prince Salman Bahrain.
Daily Tribune
04-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Oil and gas revenues drop by 12% in 2024
Oil and gas revenues dropped by 12 per cent last year, falling to BD1.818 billion, according to preliminary government figures. That's a shortfall of BD217 million compared to 2023, when prices averaged around $84 a barrel. The government said the decline was linked to shifts in global markets and lower returns from exports. In 2023, total revenues from oil and gas stood at roughly BD2.035 billion. Subsidies At the same time, subsidies to keep fuel and gas prices steady at home reached BD317 million. That's the cost the state says it paid to stop prices climbing for drivers and households. Even so, prices at the pump remain among the lowest in the Gulf. Second Bahrain comes second only to Kuwait for octane 91 fuel, priced at 140 fils per litre. Across the GCC, prices for this grade range as follows: Kuwait 105 fils, Bahrain 140 fils, Qatar 212 fils, Saudi Arabia 219 fils, Oman 224 fils, and the UAE 260 fils. For Mumtaz (octane 95), Bahrain sits in the middle of the pack, charging 200 fils. The rest range from Kuwait's 130 fils up to the UAE's 267 fils. The government added that expats account for a large slice of fuel consumption. About 58 per cent of driving licences are held by non-Bahrainis, a fact which it says pushes up the cost of indirect subsidies. As for what people are putting in their tanks, the cheaper Jayyed (octane-91) grade made up 76 per cent of total consumption in 2024. The rest — just under a quarter — was Mumtaz.
Daily Tribune
29-03-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
5,500 early job exits
More than 5,500 people opted for voluntary retirement from both the public and private sectors in 2023, with the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) reporting that the cost of service year buyouts totalled BD7.6 million. Despite the high number of early retirees, the head of the pensions' authority maintained that the new rules on expatriate end-of-service payments had no impact on Bahrainis' retirement options. In the public sector, 2,021 people retired in 2023, with 93 per cent doing so before the age of 60. The private sector saw 3,570 people step down, 89 per cent of them before reaching the official retirement age. This information came in a written response from SIO chief executive Sahar Al Mannai to MP Jalal Kadhem, who sought details on early retirement schemes in the private sector. Al Mannai revealed that 1,169 government employees applied to buy notional service years under the 1975 pension law. Of these, 593 met the criteria established by a 2023 Cabinet decision and were approved. As a result, 594 public sector employees took early retirement. For the private sector, governed by a 1976 law, 179 workers had their applications for service year buyouts approved, with 154 successfully retiring early. BD7.6 million in buyouts The total cost of buying service years reached BD7.6 million last year. Al Mannai explained that part of this sum is being repaid through monthly deductions from pensions. 'The law, before it was changed, allowed workers to keep paying after they left work if they hadn't yet covered the full amount,' she said. Kadhem also inquired if the SIO had borne any of the cost. Al Mannai responded firmly: 'The organisation pays pensions as and when they are due, as laid out in law. Coverage also extends to the self-employed, freelancers, and business owners.' No impact from expat endof-service scheme Addressing concerns about the new end-of-service payment scheme. Addressing concerns about the new end-of-service payment scheme for non-Bahrainis, introduced by a 2023 Cabinet decision, Al Mannai stressed that it had no effect on early retirement options for Bahrainis. 'The decision sets out how the payments are worked out and what employers owe,' she said. 'It has no bearing on whether Bahrainis qualify for a pension or early retirement.'
