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Government Support

The Kingdom of Bahrain is committed to helping its citizens lead better lives and supports many different segments of society, including the elderly, orphans, widows, and needy families. 

Women’ Empowerment and Support 

The Kingdom of Bahrain's Government established the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) in August 2001 as an initiative to empower Bahraini women in a range of fields and to develop and monitor their roles in Bahraini society. It provides various services, including training programmes, capacity building, awareness programmes, economic empowerment, political empowerment, legal support, guidance, and family counselling. 

Government Subsidies Portal 

In line with the royal directives, and based on the Prime Ministers' decree in May 2015, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Government provided government support services with an effort to support its citizens through meat subsidies compensation, as well as government subsidies for electricity and water.

In order to facilitate and ease the access of eligible citizens to subsidies, the Ministry of Social Development and the Electricity and Water Authority, in cooperation with the Information & eGovernment Authority, launched the Government Subsidies portal, which allows eligible citizens to submit a request for compensation subsidies on meat, with the ability to update their personal details, in addition to calculating the amount of entitled compensation according to the number of family members, and enquiring about their entitlement to government subsidies for electricity and water.

The portal is in a constant state of improvement in line with the digital transformation plan, by using the latest technologies to improve and enhance the users' experience facilitating their registration to benefit from the financial support services.

Social Security Fund 

The Bahraini family is the foundation the Kingdom’s prosperity is built on, and so ensuring the family’s quality of life and sustainability is vital to the Bahraini economy. 

The Government of Bahrain established a Social Security Fund to finance a Social Assistance Programme under the custody of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD)  to assist disabled individuals, the elderly, and less-privileged families. The Ministry’s objective is to implement the government’s plan to invest in its citizens, maintain a safe and sustainable society, implement social protection, and ensure stability for Bahraini families through social institutions.  

The Government provides care and support to families through the following social institutions and programmes: 

  • Dar Al Aman: Provides shelter to women and children exposed to violence or abuse by their own families or by other elements of society
  • Dar Al Karama: Provides social care, healthcare, cultural & recreational programmes and other services for homeless and underprivileged citizens
  • Child Protection Centre: Offers protection for children up to the age of 18 from all forms of abuse and negligence, while also covering schooling and other necessities
  • Family Economic Empowerment: A productive families’ programme to develop family-owned handicraft businesses through the provision of training, funding, and specialised services such as marketing and management 
  • Family Guidance: Partners with local authorities and NGOs to provide social services and programmes to support Bahraini families going through dysfunctional periods
  • Family Fostering Committee: Supports families wishing to foster children in need

Royal Foundation for Humanitarian Action 

Through royal patronage and community partnerships, the Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) supports charity works and developmental and humanitarian projects that strengthen social solidarity within the Kingdom of Bahrain and abroad. It develops national strategies and initiatives dedicated to vulnerable groups and enables their access and inclusion in Bahraini digital society. 

Since its establishment, the RHF has provided comprehensive financial, psychological, and social care for its target groups, including more than 10,000 orphans and widows who have been provided with subsidies, scholarships, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance. This is in addition to human services, social security, assistance with living costs, medical help, and assistance with marriage. 

Institutional Duties:

  • Sponsoring orphans and widows and caring for the elderly and people with special needs 
  • Providing social, health, and educational assistance, and alleviating financial burdens on families in need 
  • Contributing to the establishment and development of non-profit social and charitable projects such as orphanages; child, disabled care, and elderly centres; kindergartens; the support of families in need, and health rehabilitation centres 
  • Contributing to sustainable development by supporting SME programmes, allocating land for social and charitable projects, and coordinating with government entities in charge of implementing sustainable programmes and projects
  • Any other work ordered by HM the King, the Honorary President of the Foundation, or approved by the Board of Trustees

Bahrain Housing Programme 

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning: Provides appropriate social housing and Housing eServices to eligible people with limited incomes

Under a programme that began in the 1960s, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning provides suitable housing for all citizens with low income who meet certain terms and conditions. It has established several major cities and continues to build housing units for citizens throughout the Kingdom. 

Ministry of Health 

 The Kingdom of Bahrain provides free healthcare to citizens throughout their lives. The Ministry of Health provides a range of medical services for the elderly through mobile units, which include home visits for those unable to visit health centres. The Ministry of Social Development provides social services for the elderly, which include but are not limited to, daycare services, residential care services, and social assistance. Many rehabilitation centres have also been established to help people with disabilities, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. 

The Kingdom provides vaccinations to children through an Expanded Immunisation Programme, in addition to conducting health awareness campaigns for schools and universities in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. 

In addition, there are dedicated mothers’ and children’s units in every hospital, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.

Maternal and Child Healthcare 

The healthcare system in Bahrain pays special attention to motherhood and childhood, with dedicated child and maternity care units in each hospital. Preventive healthcare is provided by the Ministry of Health for all mothers, before and after birth, and children. These efforts are in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. 

National Employment Programme

In 2007, the Government of Bahrain launched a programme to provide unemployment insurance for job seekers, as per a royal decree. Through this law, 1% of the monthly salary is deducted from all individuals working in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in addition to the 1% paid by the employer and 1% by the Government. The deductions are transferred to the Unemployment Insurance Fund, managed by the Ministry of Social Development, to compensate unemployed individuals in Bahrain through monthly financial support and provide them with the necessary training and skills. The Kingdom also launched a National Employment Programme as part of long-term efforts to further improve the living standards of citizens, in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, and make them employees of choice in the public and private sectors. 

Social Insurance Law 

In line with Bahrain's commitment to providing a decent life for all, social insurance is mandatory by law in the Kingdom for all working Bahrainis. The Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) is the official government entity responsible for managing the Social Insurance Fund and providing insurance services to all individuals covered by the Civil Service Law and the Social Insurance Law in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The SIO was established in accordance with Law No. (3) of 2008 and provides social insurance coverage for individuals against the risk of old age, disability, death, work-related injuries, and unemployment in both the public and private sectors. 

The Kingdom of Bahrain provides the following social services: 

  • Reduced electricity and water fees 
  • Services for people with disabilities 
  • Financial support 
  • Compensation for damages from accidental fires in homes 
  • Financial compensation in exchange for lifting meat subsidies 

Fa’el Khair Service

The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, provides the ‘Fa’el Khair’ service on the ‘Islamiyat’ app. Launched in Ramadan 2020, it allows good Samaritans to donate to people in debt who have had judgements issued against them. The move is in line with the Kingdom’s efforts to provide a decent life for citizens and achieve SDG Goal 1: "Eradicating hunger and poverty". 

General Directorate of Traffic  

The Ministry of Interior offers citizens who are 60 years of age and above a 50% discount on certain services, including: 

  • Renewal of passports 
  • Renewal of vehicle registration certificates 
  • Renewal of driving licenses 

Ministry of Social Development 

The Ministry of Social Development provides a range of services to targeted and vulnerable groups, such as: 

  • Financial support for low-income individuals 
  • Financial compensation in exchange for lifting meat subsidies 
  • Services for people with disabilities 
  • Services for the elderly 
  • Services for women 
  • Services for families 
  • Services for the homeless 
  • Child support 
  • Economic empowerment of Bahraini families 
  • And many others