Bahrain is set to roll out mandatory health insurance for expatriates and foreign visitors as part of an ambitious BD688 million plan to transform its public healthcare system. The proposal, outlined in the 2025-2026 draft budget, will require approximately 686,000 expats and their dependents, along with over 1.6 million annual visitors, to obtain health insurance. The move aims to relieve pressure on public hospitals, reduce government spending on emergency medical care, and ensure equitable access to healthcare services. Under the plan, visitors will pay an additional visa fee, while the existing basic healthcare fee system for expatriate residents will be scrapped. Dependents, previously excluded from state healthcare coverage, will now be insured. Citizens of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will be exempt from the new regulations. To ease burden The government currently covers emergency medical expenses for visitors, a practice it deems financially unsustainable. By shifting to a mandatory insurance model, officials expect to ease the burden on the public healthcare sector. New health centres The BD688 million investment represents a 17% increase from the previous two-year budget. Funds will be allocated to build new health centres, expand existing facilities, and upgrade hospital departments. Additionally, the government plans to […]