Number of expat workers in public sector down 23% Hiring Bahrainis for schools and hospitals remains an ‘uphill battle’

TDT | Manama

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Expat employees now make up 14 per cent of Bahrain’s civil service, down from 18 per cent in 2019, following a 23 per cent drop in numbers over the past five years.

Yet, despite the fall, 58.5 per cent of workers in education and higher education and 31.5 per cent in healthcare remain non-Bahraini, emphasising a continued reliance on overseas expertise.

Question

The figures were disclosed in a letter to Parliament by Civil Service Bureau President Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa, who was responding to a question from MP Mohammed Al Olaiwi.

He stressed that hiring in the public sector is tightly controlled, with job requirements, funding, and approvals all falling under government rules.

“The fall in numbers is a result of close coordination between the Bureau and various government bodies, ensuring that whenever a qualified Bahraini candidate is available, they are put forward for the job,” Shaikh Daij wrote.

Trend

But while the overall trend points towards fewer foreign employees, their heavy presence in schools and hospitals suggests that finding enough Bahrainis to take over these roles remains an uphill battle.

The Bureau chief was keen to point out that all hiring decisions come from individual ministries and agencies, which must justify any request for a foreign worker. Contracts are temporary, and public funds are only used within set budgets.

Rules

A separate set of rules applies to government healthcare workers, covering hospitals, clinics, and medical centres.

The guidelines, introduced in 2021, set out how staff are hired, paid, promoted, and transferred, ensuring consistency across the field.

Parliament has long pressed for more Bahrainis in public sector jobs, but the numbers show that while change is happening, some jobs still need outside expertise.