Bahrain has introduced new rules allowing foreign workers to temporarily work for a second employer for up to three months while retaining their existing work permits.
The changes were introduced through Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) Decision No. 2 of 2026, which amends provisions of Decision No. 76 of 2008 governing work permits for foreign workers, excluding domestic service workers.
The new framework creates a mechanism for employers to temporarily share foreign workers while setting conditions around worker consent, Bahrainisation rates, regulatory approval and protection of employment rights.
Worker consent and LMRA approval required
Under the amended rules, a foreign worker employed by an authorised employer may work for another employer for a period of up to three months.
The arrangement requires the worker’s written consent, agreement from both employers and approval from the LMRA.
The rules also require the second employer to generally have the same or a higher prescribed Bahrainisation rate than the employer sponsoring the worker. Where the second employer has a lower Bahrainisation rate, an additional LMRA fee may apply.
Both employers will share legal responsibility for protecting the foreign worker’s rights arising from the employment relationship during the temporary assignment.
Rules allow assignments within corporate groups
The amendments also allow an employer authorised to employ a foreign worker to assign that employee to another establishment owned by the same employer or to an establishment belonging to the same corporate group.
For an assignment to another establishment owned by the same employer, the other establishment may be registered under a different commercial registration number. The arrangement can also apply to another company within the same group, based on information recorded with Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
The establishment receiving the worker must carry out an activity subject to the same prescribed Bahrainisation rate as the establishment where the worker is registered, or a higher rate.
Workers must remain at designated workplaces
The new rules also reinforce requirements concerning where foreign workers perform their duties. Workers must work at the workplace designated by their employer, subject to the temporary assignment arrangements permitted under the amended regulations.
The changes provide Bahrain-based employers with greater flexibility to temporarily deploy foreign workers across businesses while retaining the existing work permit framework.
At the same time, the conditions place emphasis on worker consent, Bahrainisation requirements and continued protection of foreign workers’ employment rights.
The amendments form part of Bahrain’s broader labour-market regulatory framework governing the employment and deployment of foreign workers.