Senior government officials led objections in Parliament after MPs unanimously approved two draft amendments and sent the bills to the Shura Council for review.
The proposals would allow executive regulations to impose additional conditions on expatriates applying for or renewing driving licences and linking their validity to the duration of residency permits. The bills now move to the Shura Council, where the constitutional, legal and practical implications will face further scrutiny.
Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain said the restriction raised a clear constitutional issue. “There are constitutional rulings. If this court drops a law, then it is not something open for debate,” he said, stressing that freedom of movement is a protected right and that expatriates enjoy it under international conventions.
Interior Ministry Under-Secretary for Legislative Affairs Rashid Bunajma said existing penalties already address illegal practices such as unlicensed taxi driving.
“The current punishment is enough – six months’ imprisonment, a BD1,000 fine and deportation,” he said, noting that Parliament had previously approved Royal Decree-Laws tightening penalties for violations including illegal transport activity.
“These provisions are now in force and their impact will become visible soon.”
He added that the Constitutional Court – not the government – had ruled previously on similar matters, warning that introducing parallel restrictions through executive bylaws could be confusing and inconsistent with a uniform legal framework. Traffic Culture Director at the General Directorate of Traffic, Major Khalid Buqais, drew a distinction between rights and misuse.
“There is a right, and there is misuse – they are completely different issues,” he said, suggesting enforcement, not new restrictions, was the practical solution.
The government memorandum, backed by the Justice Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry and echoed by the Interior Ministry, argued that Article 19(3) of the existing Traffic Law already empowers executive regulations to set licensing conditions, making the amendment unnecessary.
It warned that leaving the matter entirely to regulations without clear legal principles could turn freedom of movement for expatriates from a right into a conditional privilege, potentially conflicting with international obligations, including Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The National Institution for Human Rights Bahrain also raised similar concerns.
Despite this, MPs endorsed the proposals following a recommendation by Parliament’s foreign affairs, defence and national security committee. Committee chairman MP Hassan Bukhammas said the intention was to address ‘worsening congestion’.
“Traffic congestion has become a daily burden on citizens and residents alike,” he said. “This gives the government regulatory tools to better manage that situation.”
The debate witnessed a heated argument between committee vice-chairman and rapporteur MP Abdulla Al Romaihi and Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam, who ordered the MP not to confront government officials – even cutting his microphone.
Strategic Thinking Bloc spokesman MP Khalid Bu Onk argued there was a legal window following the Constitutional Court ruling that allowed the Interior Minister to issue necessary restrictive bylaws. MP Bassema Mubarak said unregulated practices were affecting families.
“We see mafias of expatriates taking our children to school through unlicensed transport activity,” she claimed.
MP Jalal Kadhem Al Mahfoodh said clear regulatory controls were needed to protect the labour market and small businesses, not to target expatriates.
He noted that Bahrain previously limited licences to certain professional categories such as managers, consultants, doctors and teachers, while the current workforce includes more than 400,000 labourers, many earning under BD200. He cited official data showing around 72,000 expatriates earn between BD400 and BD2,000, alongside roughly 27,000 on flexible visas and an estimated 75,000 irregular workers.
Mr Al Mahfoodh claimed that some individuals owned multiple vehicles and used them for unlicensed transport, calling for a comprehensive database to track licences and vehicles per person and prevent system abuse. He added that with public transport alternatives expanding and future plans such as the metro, licence policies could be better aligned with labour market needs and ‘Bahrainisation’ goals.
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