400 Airport Jobs as Ministers Back Transit Push

TDT | Manama

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Ministers told Parliament on Tuesday that Bahrain is tying its bid to draw more transit passengers and tourists to jobs, airport growth and higher non-oil returns, as MPs demanded plainer answers on stopover services, short-stay visas and Gulf Air’s part in selling the Kingdom as a stop and a stay.

Hamad Al Maliki, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said the debate showed ‘the shared keenness to develop the aviation sector’ because of its direct link to the economy and jobs for Bahrainis. He said the airport operating company had put ‘around 400 jobs’ on the National Employment Platform and that ‘around 90 per cent’ of pilots and airport staff were Bahrainis. Work is under way, he added, to lift the share further, including front-desk and ground services roles in future hiring rounds.

Tourism Minister Fatima Al Sairafi told MPs that tourism is ‘a main pillar’ in economic diversification and said the tourism strategy was included in the Economic Recovery Plan ‘because of the sector’s importance in creating job opportunities and boosting growth’. She said a tourism indicator report issued in January 2026 placed Bahrain among the fastest-growing countries in visitor numbers in the Middle East during 2025 compared with 2024, ranking third with growth of 11 per cent. She also said the strategy launched in 2020 had led to 23 hotels being opened out of a target of 45, which she said ‘reflects private-sector confidence in the Bahraini market’.

On tour guides, the minister said Bahrainis make up ‘more than 70 per cent’ of guides and that no fees are charged for Bahraini tour-guide licences, with training programmes still running. She said a decision regulating the profession is under review to ‘reinforce the priority for national competencies’, while taking into account markets that need certain languages and specialist experience. She added that work would continue on infrastructure ‘to keep pace with tourism growth’ and strengthen Bahrain’s standing as a regional destination.

Dr Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, told the chamber that airports are ‘a vital face of any country’ and that air traffic backs the economy, links Bahrain to the world and opens wider job paths. He said Bahrain’s aviation system is among the oldest in the region, with a record ‘spanning more than 75 years’, even as neighbours pour money into airport works and related services.

He said Bahrain has launched a national aviation strategy for 2026 to 2030, built around four main tracks, and aimed at the wider aviation system, including the airport and its services, the laws that govern the sector, and the supply chains and logistics that sit alongside it. He said Bahrain International Airport’s redevelopment and the awards it has won in recent years show ‘the scale of the efforts made’, with a focus on drawing in selected firms to strengthen Bahrain’s role as a regional aviation base.

The minister said Bahrain had succeeded in attracting AirAsia to base regional operations in the Kingdom after strong regional competition, with plans to register aircraft in Bahrain in coming years. He also spoke of agreements with firms in maintenance, logistics and air cargo, including advanced maintenance hangars and the attraction of e-commerce and freight firms. He said rules are being developed in line with top global safety standards while keeping a regulatory set-up that helps draw investment.

He also pointed to work on sea links, saying there is coordination to ease entry for cruise ships and organise procedures to support maritime tourism, alongside studies on improving sea transport services to raise safety and the passenger experience.

MP Mamdouh Al Saleh, who led the request for the debate, described tourism and aviation as ‘a treasure’ that is under-used and said an open-skies policy helps increase transit traffic and feed the economy. He welcomed the AirAsia agreement and said it strengthens Bahrain’s role as a link between South East Asia, the Middle East and Europe. He also urged faster delivery to keep pace with regional competition and said easier entry through short tourist visas and family visit visas would help draw more visitors, with spillover into accommodation, transport and shopping.

Jalal Kadhem told Parliament Bahrain should make the most of the GCC unified tourist visa project, saying it would ease travel and open up new income streams. He called for early plans so Bahrain can take a larger share of tourists moving between GCC states. He also urged work on forts, museums and heritage sites, and called for a fuller maritime tourism plan based on Bahrain’s island geography, including family tourist vessels and sea routes linking Bahrain with nearby states. He also called for stronger budget support for the Tourism Ministry to help turn seasonal events into year-round programmes, citing ‘Muharraq Nights’, ‘Hawa Al Manama’, Formula 1 and the heritage city in Askar.

The debate followed a request led by Al Saleh and backed by nine other MPs seeking a general discussion to clarify government policy on facilities for transit passengers and tourists, including airport services, short-stay visas and Gulf Air’s role in marketing Bahrain as a stopover and visitor destination.