Bahraini finance and insurance workers earn average BD1,169 monthly, data shows

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahraini workers in finance and insurance earn an average BD1,169 a month, while new starters receive a median BD610, official data shows, in a sector that accounts for 17.8 per cent of GDP and ranks among the largest non-oil contributors to the economy.

The kingdom’s financial report said the sector grew 5 per cent year on year in the third quarter of 2025, with higher activity in electronic transfers and a rise in retail bank lending.

The value of transactions processed through the electronic funds transfer system rose 16.3 per cent to BD9.6 billion.

The consolidated balance sheet of the banking system increased 2.7 per cent.

Deposits

Retail bank loans climbed 4.8 per cent to BD12.7 billion, while deposits from non-banks fell 2.7 per cent.

Finance and insurance were listed as the biggest contributor within non-oil activities, which make up 85 per cent of GDP.

The number of financial institutions operating in Bahrain reached 375 by the third quarter of 2025.

Employment in the sector stood at 14,940 staff, including 10,383 Bahrainis, who made up 69.5 per cent of the workforce, compared with 4,557 expat workers at 30.5 per cent.

The banking sector counted 83 banks, including 29 retail banks. Of those, 13 were locally registered retail banks and 16 were branches of foreign retail banks.

The figures also covered 56 wholesale banks, six representative offices and one banking association. Islamic banks totalled 15.

Investment

Banking-sector assets reached $246.8 billion by August 2025, including $65.7 billion held by Islamic banks, while Bahrain had 51 investment companies, the data showed. Insurance figures listed 140 licensed insurance institutions, excluding representatives of insurers.

The tally included 30 insurance firms, 21 insurance and reinsurance firms, 14 locally registered firms, and six takaful and reinsurance firms, alongside branches, brokers, and insurance consultants and managers.

The number of actuaries stood at 31, and insurance company representatives totalled 108.

Funds

Investment funds also remained a large part of the picture, with 1,738 licensed and registered funds by November 2025 and assets worth $11.139 billion.

This included 54 local investment funds, 10 private investment funds, and 165 local and foreign Islamic investment funds, as well as 1,674 foreign offshore funds.

Capital markets were valued at $20.1 billion, while total insurance premiums reached BD239.438 million, according to the figures.