Reserving jobs for Bahrainis ‘not a discriminative act’

MP Ghazi Al Rahma has urged his fellow MPs to vote for a proposal he had submitted a few months ago, demanding the authorities to form a list of professions that should be reserved for citizens. Limiting certain jobs to Bahrainis isn’t a discriminative move, the parliamentarian told Tribune yesterday. Insisting that the proposal isn’t “discriminative”, as alleged, he said similar rules exist in fellow GCC countries. “It’s a legislative right to seek and prioritise the interests of citizens. This includes employment. It’s the norm followed by many advanced and developed countries of the world. There’s no discrimination here. Foreign workers have contributed to the development of our nation and their efforts are forever appreciated.

The proposal, which was urgently submitted by Mr Al Rahma earlier this year, was rejected by the government and will be voted on by the Council of Representatives in an extraordinary final session of the legislative term today. It initially includes several positions in different job fields, such as accountants, human resources specialists, legal consultants, financial consultants, financial experts, information technology specialists and other jobs.