Bahrain Lets Foreign Workers Work for a Second Employer for Up to 3 Months: LMRA Decision No. 2 of 2026

Bahrain has changed how foreign workers can be deployed between employers. Under new rules approved by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and circulated on 27 September 2026, a foreign worker can now work for a second employer for up to three months while keeping the existing work permit. For workers in Bahrain, and anyone planning to move there, the key point is that the change depends on your written consent.

Below is what has been announced, what it means in practice, and what has not yet been clarified. Where the official text was not available to us, we say so.

What has officially been announced

Gulf Daily News reported that the LMRA Board of Directors approved amendments to the regulations on work permits for expatriates, and that the new rules were issued by the board’s chairman, Labour and Legal Affairs Minister Yousif Khalaf. The report describes them as taking effect immediately and names the instrument as Resolution No. 2 of 2026.

A separate report published on 29 September by People Matters describes the same measure as LMRA Decision No. 2 of 2026, amending Decision No. 76 of 2008, the earlier regulation on work permits for foreign workers. It says the rules exclude domestic service workers.

How the new arrangement works

The amendments also cover assignments inside a business group. An employer authorised to employ a foreign worker can assign that worker to another establishment it owns, even if that establishment has a different commercial registration number. The rules also cover a company within the same corporate group, based on information recorded with Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce. In group cases the receiving establishment must be in an activity with the same or a higher prescribed Bahrainisation rate.

The reports also stress that workers must work at the workplace designated by their employer, subject to the temporary assignment arrangements the amended rules allow.

Who is affected

• Foreign workers with an LMRA work permit in private-sector jobs, who may be asked to support another business for a limited period.
• Employers that need extra staff for a project or a busy season and do not want to recruit new workers.
• Companies within one corporate group, which can now move staff between entities more easily.

Who is not affected

• Domestic service workers are excluded from these rules.
• Workers who do not consent. The measure requires written consent, so it does not, on the reported wording, authorise an employer to move you without agreement.
• Job seekers abroad. This is a rule about existing permit holders. It does not create a new visa or a way to enter Bahrain and look for work.

What workers should do now

1. Do not sign anything you do not understand. If your employer asks you to work elsewhere, ask for the request in writing, naming the second employer and the dates.
2. Check the end date. The reported limit is three months. An open-ended “temporary” posting should be questioned.
3. Ask who pays you. Confirm the salary, allowances, transport and who handles payroll during the assignment before you consent.
4. Confirm the work location and that LMRA approval has been obtained before you start.
5. Keep copies of your consent, your contract and your payslips throughout.

What remains unclear

We could not access the text of the decision in the Official Gazette, so several practical details are not confirmed. The amount of the additional LMRA fee, the application procedure and forms, whether an assignment can be renewed or repeated, and how pay and benefits must be handled between the two employers have not been reported. Nothing in the coverage we reviewed says whether a worker can decline without any consequence beyond the requirement for consent. Treat those as open questions until the LMRA publishes guidance.

The rule also fits a broader Gulf pattern of employer flexibility paired with worker protections. If you are comparing labour mobility elsewhere, see our guide to changing jobs in the UAE without a labour ban and our overview of Kuwait’s Article 18 work visa, where the sponsorship rules are stricter. Before accepting any Bahrain offer, read the Gulf job scam safety checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Gulf Daily News: Expat rules for temporary working for another company (27 September 2026)
• People Matters: Bahrain allows foreign workers to temporarily work for a second employer (29 September 2026)

Original announcement: LMRA Board decision published in Bahrain’s Official Gazette, dated 24 September 2026. We relied on media reports of the decision because the gazette text was not accessible. Last reviewed: 29 September 2026.