Unlicensed buildings face jail and hefty fines

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Jail terms and fines from BD500 to BD50,000 headline a draft Building Regulation Law before Parliament, empowering the authority to halt unlawful works and, where breaches cannot be fixed, order demolition.

The bill, annexed to Decree No. 53 of 2025, sets criminal penalties of BD1,000 to BD20,000 and possible imprisonment for submitting false information to obtain a licence, obstructing inspectors, withholding required records, or building without a licence or in breach of its terms.

Where violations are proven, the authority may suspend works, add conditions to a licence, compel corrective measures, demolish parts that cannot be remedied, and levy administrative fines from BD500 to BD50,000.

Clearances

Licensing is routed through a single competent authority that gathers clearances from other bodies and decides within fixed time limits. Minor and temporary works to be exempt will be set in the implementing regulation.

Private operators may receive applications and check compliance, while approved engineering offices can verify drawings or inspect sites. Refusals maya be challenged first by complaint and then before the competent court.