The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) is the central pillar of Bahrain’s commercial and industrial framework. It is responsible for regulating businesses, issuing Commercial Registrations (CR), enforcing corporate governance, and operating the Sijilat portal—the Kingdom’s advanced digital commercial registry system.
MOIC administers the Commercial Companies Law (Decree Law No. 21 of 2001 and its amendments). Its primary goal is to foster a transparent, competitive, and globally integrated business environment in Bahrain. Every legal entity operating in Bahrain must be registered and licensed by MOIC.
Core Services & Mandates
- 📋Commercial Registration (CR) Issuance of CRs without a license (for initial setup) and Active CRs (once municipal and sector approvals are met).
- 🏷️Trade Name Approval Ensuring unique corporate identities that comply with MOIC’s naming conventions and public morality requirements.
- 🏛️Corporate Governance Oversight of Annual General Meetings (AGM), Articles of Association, and corporate compliance standards.
- 👤UBO Declarations Filing and maintaining records of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBO) in accordance with Bahrain’s regulatory requirements.
- 🛡️AML Compliance Structuring internal frameworks to satisfy Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance obligations in the Kingdom.
- 🔄Company Amendments Processing changes in shareholding, directorship, capital increases, company restructuring, liquidation, and strike-off procedures.
Digital First (Sijilat)
MOIC pioneered the Sijilat system, a highly integrated e-service portal that links MOIC with other regulatory bodies (such as LMRA, NBR, and EDB), allowing investors to register companies, amend CR details, and renew licenses entirely online.