Bahrain is considering a cap on the number of expats working here, it has emerged.Foreigners currently account for around half of the population and 77 per cent of the workforce.

However, Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi revealed plans to impose a ceiling on the number of work visas available. ‘The GCC member states are under pressure from international labour organisations to protect workers’ rights,’ said Dr Al Alawi.

‘Bahrain’s status is good, but more has to be done to ensure better working environment for expatriates.

‘However, this doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a cap on the numbers allowed in the labour market and this is currently being determined through a Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) study.’

He made the comments after signing a memorandum of understanding with his UAE counterpart Saqr Ghobash at the Labour Ministry in Zayed Town.

Of the 597,402 people employed in Bahrain at the end of the third quarter, 457,487 were expats, according to LMRA figures. Latest statistics available from 2008 state the Bahrain population had reached 1,106,509, with foreigners outnumbering Bahrainis by 568,790 to 537,719.-TradeArabia News Service