Eleven Societies Dissolved by Ministerial Order

Banks and members are barred from dealing with society funds without approval

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Social Development Minister Osama Al Alawi has dissolved the Islamic Enlightenment Society after a final criminal ruling found it had carried out offences and grave breaches linked to Bahrain’s public fundraising law.

Decision No 19 of 2026, published in the Official Gazette, cited criminal case No 192/2025/7 and said the society’s conduct was a grave breach of Decree-Law No 21 of 2013 on raising money for public purposes.

Eight other civil associations were also dissolved by force after a ministry memo found that they had stopped their work, lost their active role, and failed for more than 10 years to hold general assemblies or renew their boards.

They are Namaa Development Forum Society, Al Eskafi Society for Beautifying Bahrain, Al Insan Society, Bahrain Welsh Society, Kerala Muslim Society, Al Hadaf Social Society, Al Nahda Youth Society, and the Bahrain Natural History Society.

Two other bodies, the Professional Fishermen Co-operative Society and Furjan Muharraq Society, were dissolved voluntarily after filing requests through the legal process.

Muzafar Certified Accountants, company registration No 50861-1, has been named liquidator for all the societies listed in the decision.

The firm must wind up the societies, settle their affairs, and distribute the outcome of the liquidation under the law and each society’s own rules within two months from the date the decision takes effect.

It must also preserve the societies' money and rights, collect sums owed by members or third parties, pay their debts, and submit a final account to the ministry.

From the date the order takes effect, members, managers and employees of the dissolved societies are barred from carrying on their work or dealing with their funds. Those in charge must hand all documents and records to the liquidator.

The decision also bars employees, banks holding the societies’ money, and debtors from taking any step involving the societies, their rights or their funds without written approval from the liquidator and in line with the law.