Ministry of Works Contractor Prequalification

Why this matters for Bahrain trades

The National Bureau for Revenue administers VAT at a 10% standard rate, with registration mandatory at BHD 37,500 of annual taxable revenue; PwC’s July 2026 review found e-invoicing not yet mandatory and notes that the market expects a system similar to Saudi Arabia’s, with no confirmed start date. CRPEP licenses engineers and engineering offices under Law No. 51 of 2014, and new-building permits on Benayat are filed through a CRPEP-licensed engineering office. The Ministry of Works prequalifies contractors by category and grade for its building, roads, sanitary and landscape works; the Tender Board oversees government purchases above BHD 50,000, and bidders must register on its eTendering system; LMRA issues work permits for expatriate staff, with a higher fee under the Parallel Bahrainisation System for firms below their ratio; and the General Directorate of Civil Defense gives input on Benayat permits, with its approval letter required for a building’s completion certificate.

Bahrain construction software selection is shaped by 10% VAT administered by the National Bureau for Revenue (NBR), with e-invoicing not yet mandatory according to PwC’s July 2026 review, CRPEP licensing for engineers and engineering offices, Ministry of Works prequalification for its building, roads, sanitary and landscape works, Tender Board registration for larger government tenders, LMRA work permits and Bahrainisation ratios, and building permits through the Benayat system.