The Bahraini Businessmen’s Association is a private, independent, and non-profitable organization; having its head office in Manama, State of Bahrain. The Association seeks to dedicate the expertise of its members for supporting the private sector and its activities with the aim of developing the Bahraini economy and achieving its development goals.

The Association seeks to create and maintain a business climate that will enable the private sector to play a harmonizing role and stimulate its members and Bahraini businesses to carry out the economic and social functions that will help serve the interests of the private sector through carrying out the following:-

• To explain the view points, needs and interests of the various professional sectors, forming as a whole the business community in Bahrain.
• To crystallize and coordinate the various view points within the private sector.
• To conduct macro economic specialized feasibility studies for the purpose of providing the Association's members with knowledge and information related to the effect of governmental policies on the private sector activities.
• To conduct economic and social studies on the public and private conditions and their reflections on the businessmen and other sectors.
• To prepare memos and working papers to be submitted to the government periodically; including the businessmen view points on the development policies being adopted and implemented by the government.
• To participate in rendering technical assistance, and developing appropriate training programmes for the Association's members for the aim of improving their working environment and raising the standard of their performance.
• To carry out directly, or through a specialized consultative body, field surveys for data collection and to get acquainted with the view points on issue of interests to the businessmen in Bahrain.
• To encourage the establishment of new public utility organizations and companies capable of rendering economic and social services (joint stock companies, consumer protection organizations …etc.)
• To cooperate with competent bodies in establishing a Bahraini center for business development for the service of investors in Bahrain, and supervise its operation.
• To act as representative for the businessmen in Bahrain when dealing with counterpart foreign organizations.
• To activate the private sector's role in Bahrain, and emphasize its importance in terms of cooperation and coordination with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and other private sector organizations.
• To organize local and external seminars for the discussion of the economic affairs related to the activities of the private sector and national economy.

• Any private sector Bahraini businessmen or businesswomen not less than thirty years of age, enjoying a good reputation and willing to serve the objectives of the Association, may apply for membership provided he/she shall meet at least one of the following conditions:-
  • To be an elected natural member in the board of directors of a public share holding company.
  • To be the Chairman or a member of the board of directors of a company with limited liability and with the capital of not less than one hundred thousand Bahrain Dinars.
  • To be the owner of an establishment with capital not less than fifty thousand Bahrain Dinars, which has been registered with the Ministry of Commerce for at least five years.
  • To be a partner in a company of any kind not mentioned above, provided his share is not less than fifty thousand Bahrain Dinars, and the company has been incorporated for five years.
  • To be the director general of a public share holding company.
  • To be a Bahraini expert in economic affairs with previous participation in preparation of worthwhile economic research.
• Membership applications shall be submitted on the specified membership forms and must be proposed and endorsed by recommendations of two of the association's members who acquired their membership at least two years earlier.
• Membership applications fulfilling the above requirements shall be considered by the association's Board of Directors, and all decisions shall be taken by the majority of two-thirds of the members present.
• The applicant shall become a member after the approval of his application by the board of Directors and payment of all dues.
• Members shall automatically lose their membership if they fail to pay the subscription fees for two successive years.

• The General Assembly shall comprise all members who have paid their annual subscriptions of the year preceding the date of the meeting.
• The General Assembly shall hold at least one annual meeting upon the invitation of the Board of Directors, within three months from the end the Association's fiscal year.
• The General Assembly may hold extraordinary meetings upon the invitation of the Board of Directors or upon a written request by one third of the General Assembly's members, in order to endorse the amendments related to its articles of association, or to dissolve the Association.
• The Board of Directors may call the General Assembly to a meeting at the Association's head office or any other place specified for that purpose by a written notice to all members, at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting, and together with the agenda of the meeting.
• The General Assembly shall discuss the following issues:-
  • Approval of the agenda.
  • Discussion of the Board of Directors report on the Association's activities.
  • Approval of the final accounts of the fiscal year.
  • Election of a chartered auditor for the new fiscal year.
  • Approval of the work plan and the new fiscal year budget.
  • Election of the members of the Board of directors by secret ballot.
  • Any other business.
• The General Assembly’s resolutions shall be recorded in the book of the minutes of meetings and signed by the Chairman and the Secretary General. The names of the attending members shall be stated in the minutes.
• The General Assembly’s meeting shall be legal if attended by fifty percent plus one of the members. If there is no quorum, the second meeting of the General Assembly will be held within twenty one days and shall be considered legal, regardless of the number of members attending.
• A member may delegate, in writing, another member to represent him in any of the General Assembly’s meetings. A member may not represent, or deputize for, more than on member.
• The General Assembly meeting shall be chaired by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or, in his absence, by the Deputy Chairman. The General Assembly shall elect a chairman in case of the absence of the two.
• The General Assembly resolutions shall be taken by raising of hands in the general assembly and by the absolute majority of votes of the attending members.

• The Board of Directors shall be comprised by nine (9) members elected by the General Assembly from its members by secret ballot.
• The Board of Directors shall be elected for a term of (4) years.
• The Board of Directors shall elect from its members a chairman, a deputy chairman, a secretary and a treasurer and the authorized signatories for financial matters.
• The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall represent the Association before all government, legal and civil organizations on matters related to the Association’s rights and duties.
• The member may not be elected as a chairman of the Board of Directors for more than two consecutive terms. Serving of the remaining period of the term shall not be considered a full term. However, the General Assembly may increase these terms in exceptional cases.
• If the position of a member of the Board of Directors becomes vacant during the term of the Board, the person who obtained the highest number of votes next to members elected in the previous elections, shall become a member of the Board of Directors replacing the member whose post has become vacant. Should no such person exist, the Board of Directors shall appoint a qualified and capable replacement to serve as Director until the next General Assembly when his appointment may be confirmed or another member may be elected to complete the Board of Directors term.
• The Board of Directors shall hold at least six annual meetings, upon an invitation by the Chairman, or by the Deputy Chairman in case of his absence.
• The Board of Directors meetings shall require a quorum by the majority of its members. Resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority vote of the attending members.
• The Board of Directors meetings shall be chaired by the Board’s Chairman or by his Deputy in the event of his absence.
• The Board of Directors shall supervise and manage the Association’s activities, lay down the rules and instructions regulating the work progress, appoint the employees, set up various committees as may be the work plan, the final statement of accounts at the end of every year, and prepare the new fiscal year budget and the annual report on the activities of the Board Directors in order to be submitted to the General Assembly.
• The member of the Board shall lose his membership in the following cases:-
  • If he fails to attend the meeting with out reasonable excuse three consecutive times or six times during the year.
  • If a criminal judgment is passed against him.

The Board of Directors shall set up from members of the Association such committees as deemed necessary for the performance of its duties. The functions assigned to each of these committees shall be defined upon their formation, by a resolution of the Board of Directors.

• The Board of Directors shall appoint a Manager for the Association enjoying all the administrative and technical capabilities required for the implementation of the Board of Directors resolutions and coordinating of committees activities. The said Association’s Manager or his representative, shall prepare the minutes and agenda of the meeting.
• The Board of Directors, after consulting with the Association’s Manager, shall appoint the employees required for carrying out the assigned duties and relevant research.

• The Association’s resources shall consist of the following:
  • Membership fees: Subscription fee of (250) Bahrain Dinars and Annual Membership fees of (250) Bahrain Dinars.
  • Contributions and Donations made by members and others.
  • Any other resources approved by the Board of Directors.
• The Association’s fiscal year shall commence on 1st January and ends on 31st December of every calendar year.

The Association is entitled to form joint business councils within Bahrain and with other foreign or Arab Countries for the aim of promoting and enhancing trade and investment relations between Bahrain and such countries, as well as providing the Arab, Foreign and Bahraini businessmen and the council’s members with the investment, trade and finance opportunities available in Bahrain as well as similar possible opportunities in their countries.

The Association is entitled to own real estates and lands and any other movable or immovable properties and is also entitled to sell and mortgage any such properties under a resolution passed by the General Assembly. The Association maintains the right to lease any of them by a decision of the Board of Directors.

The Association shall be dissolved by a decision taken by the General Assembly in an extraordinary session provided that the said decision is taken by not less than two third of the members. Movable and immovable properties shall be transferred to the body defined by the general assembly.

• The Board of Directors shall have the right to nominate honorary members from those who have rendered significant services for the national economy.
• Honorary members shall be exempted from subscription fees and annual membership fees, and shall have no right to be a candidate or participate in voting.

The Board of Directors may accept the associate membership of Bahraini businessmen working outside the country as supportive members and define the conditions of their membership, affiliation and participation fees applicable thereon without having the right for voting or candidacy in the election.