Bahrain Raises Minimum Wage Support to 70% Alongside Salary, Mentions Ceilings For Degree Holders
- Bahrain updated its National Employment Programme 2.0 to raise wage support for Bahraini employees to 70 per cent of salary
- The new support comes with salary ceilings that differ across qualification bands, from university graduates to secondary-school leavers
- Bahrain's minimum wage benchmarks remain unchanged at 450, 380, and 300 dinars depending on educational qualification
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Bahrain has raised the wage support rate under its National Employment Programme 2.0 to 70 per cent of an employee's monthly salary, with the support capped at 70 per cent of a 600-dinar ceiling for most qualification bands.
The update means that a university graduate earning the minimum benchmark salary of 450 dinars will receive 315 dinars in wage support during the first year of employment. Where the same graduate earns 600 dinars, the support rises to 420 dinars.
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However, if the salary goes above 600 dinars, the support stays fixed at 420 dinars, since the calculation is tied to the 600-dinar ceiling rather than the actual wage.
Support ceilings by qualification band
Diploma holders and secondary-school graduates face different ceilings under the scheme. Diploma holders qualify for 70 per cent support on salaries up to a ceiling of 480 dinars, while workers whose highest qualification is a secondary-school certificate or below are eligible for 70 per cent support up to a ceiling of 350 dinars.
This means each category has both a minimum benchmark and a separate, higher support ceiling.
Bahrain's minimum wage benchmarks themselves have not changed. University graduates must be paid at least 450 dinars per month, diploma holders at least 380 dinars, and secondary-school graduates and those with lower qualifications at least 300 dinars.
The authorities have made clear that the wage support ceilings introduced under the programme are separate from these minimums and should not be read as a revision of them.
How the calculation works in practice
The practical effect of the scheme is that employers hiring Bahraini nationals receive a subsidy covering the majority of payroll costs in the first year, with the level of support determined by the worker's educational background and salary.
The higher the qualification band, the larger the potential support amount, though each band remains capped regardless of how high the actual salary climbs.
Workers in all three bands benefit from the 70 per cent rate, but the dinar amounts differ because each ceiling is set at a different level. The design ensures that higher-qualified workers attract larger subsidies in absolute terms, while the cap prevents the government's exposure from growing without limit as salaries increase beyond the ceiling.
What employers must do when worker gets injured in Bahrain
Legit.ng earlier reported that Bahrain's labour law sets out clear rules for how employers must respond when a worker is hurt on the job, covering both the obligation to report the incident and the duty to cover all costs tied to the worker's recovery.
Source: Legit.ng
