Reviewed: 10 October 2026. This is general information. Official sources are linked below; individual cases and applicable rules should be checked with the relevant authority or a qualified adviser.
Use the required written form
Article 19 requires an Arabic written contract in two copies, with each party retaining one. Where a contract is written in another language, an Arabic version must accompany it. Workplace rules incorporated by reference should be attached and signed.
The absence of a written contract does not automatically remove the worker’s rights: Article 19 allows the worker to prove them by available means of proof.
Official sources: Bahrain EDB: Labour Law for the Private Sector, Law No. 36 of 2012 (English text with listed amendments)
State the essential terms
Article 20 identifies the employer and workplace, commercial registration details, the worker’s identity and occupation, the nature of the work, duration where fixed, and the agreed wage, payment method, timing and benefits.
- Distinguish basic salary from allowances and other benefits.
- Describe the work and location accurately.
- Identify any probation clause expressly and check its lawful duration.
- Give both parties the signed agreement and incorporated documents.
Official sources: Bahrain EDB: Labour Law for the Private Sector, Law No. 36 of 2012 (English text with listed amendments)
Understand duration and renewal
Articles 96–98 distinguish a fixed period, a contract for particular work and an indefinite contract. Article 98 includes conversion rules where the initial and renewed duration exceeds five years or the parties continue without an express renewal agreement. There is no universal two-year maximum in these provisions.
Assess the contract’s actual history before applying termination or compensation rules. Completing probation does not by itself replace a fixed-term contract with a new contract type.
Official sources: Bahrain EDB: Labour Law for the Private Sector, Law No. 36 of 2012 (English text with listed amendments)
Review restrictions and benefits
Article 4 preserves better benefits and invalidates conditions that reduce rights under the law. Article 73 places conditions on a post-employment non-compete, including the worker’s age, the protected business interest, geography, type of work and a maximum one-year period. It also restricts when the employer can rely on it.
Have a disputed restriction or unusual employment arrangement reviewed on its facts. A signed clause is not automatically enforceable merely because it appears in a template.
Official sources: Bahrain EDB: Labour Law for the Private Sector, Law No. 36 of 2012 (English text with listed amendments)
Related guides
- Bahrain employment law: a private-sector checklist
- Probation in Bahrain: contract, duration and notice
- Bahrain working hours: ordinary limits, breaks and rest
- Bahrain overtime pay: day, night and rest-day work
- Annual leave in Bahrain: entitlement and unused balance
- Sick leave in Bahrain: eligibility, certification and pay
- Ending employment in Bahrain: notice, reason and settlement
- Bahrain gratuity calculations: service, salary and SIO
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