The Bahrain Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has activated a “Secondment Service” that lets companies loan expatriate employees to a second employer for up to 90 days at a nominal fee of BHD 5. NRI-focused portal *NRI Affairs* analysed Resolution 2/2026—which took effect on 28 September but was detailed in an LMRA circular dated 13 October—and flagged key implications for the Gulf’s 340,000-strong Indian workforce. A valid Bahraini work-permit holder may temporarily work for another firm provided three-way consent is logged in the LMRA’s Expat Management System: original employer, employee and receiving employer. Both companies are jointly liable for wages and statutory benefits during the secondment. Crucially, the scheme cannot be used to import new workers from abroad—something recruitment agents have already begun misleading Indian job-seekers about. The reform offers flexibility to project-driven industries such as construction and events management, where labour needs peak for short bursts. For Indian professionals, it could translate into overtime earnings or diversified experience without a full sponsorship transfer. Yet mobility advisors caution that refusal rights lie with the employee; any forced deployment is illegal and should be reported to the Indian Embassy. Corporates in India outsourcing staff to Bahraini partners should amend service contracts to reflect joint-liability clauses and confirm which party pays the administrative fee. HR teams must also monitor whether a secondment pushes a worker beyond the underlying permit’s expiry, because the arrangement terminates automatically if the base visa lapses.
Source: NRI Affairs
