Shura Rejects Expats Master’s Rule Bill Again

Shura said no again on Sunday, voting down for a second time a draft law that would make a master’s degree the minimum bar for expat hires in public-sector posts, and sending the disputed proposal to the National Assembly after the two chambers failed to agree.

The proposal seeks to amend Article (11) of the Civil Service Law issued by Decree-Law No. 48 of 2010. It would add new limits on when non-Bahrainis can be hired, and on what terms, when no suitable Bahraini candidate is available.

Under the draft, an expat recruit would need at least a master’s degree, or its equivalent, in the same field, and no fewer than 10 years’ experience. Contracts would run for up to two years and be renewed once only for a similar period, after checking again that a qualified Bahraini candidate still cannot be found.

Presenting the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee report, rapporteur Dr Abdulaziz Al Ajman said the bill adds ‘new provisions’ on qualifications, experience and contract length, with renewal linked to a fresh check on the continued lack of an eligible Bahraini candidate.

The committee urged members to stick with the Shura Council’s earlier refusal, arguing the aims sought by the draft are already met through the Civil Service Law and its implementing rules, in line with Article 16 of the Constitution, which gives Bahrainis priority in public employment and allows hiring non-Bahrainis only in cases set by law.

During the debate, Shura member Dr Ali Al Haddad backed the committee’s stance, saying its view ‘is not a rejection of the public interest or of reform’, but a bid to avoid piecemeal change to civil-service rules.

Shura member Dr Ahmed Al Oraiyedh questioned the fit of a blanket master’s-degree rule across many jobs, saying: ‘Academic certificates like a master’s and a doctorate are always given to those working in academia,’ while many professions follow different tracks.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Ghanim Al Buainain also supported the committee’s reading, saying: ‘The legislation is already in place and there is no need to repeat it in the texts.’ He argued that any qualification threshold should follow the job itself, rather than the passport of the person hired.

The committee also pointed to what it said were results under the current rules, citing a Civil Service Bureau drive to localise jobs that cut expat employment contracts by 23 per cent between 2019 and 2024.

With the Shura Council repeating its rejection, the draft law has been referred to the National Assembly for a final decision.