On May 30, 2023, the Bahraini parliament approved the country's general budget law for the fiscal years 2023-2024, amidst continued military spending and a record deficit.

In 2022, Bahrain's government amassed financial surpluses with the rise in oil prices, yet failed to implement measures to address the inflation's impact on citizens' livelihoods in a country where the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen.

The King approved a new draft general budget, which is nothing new. It comprises the same tricks of monopolizing wealth and depriving Bahraini citizens of their natural rights to a decent life.

Based on financial analysis, the government in Bahrain has provided scraps to the country through meager bonuses approved by the MPs and Shura Council members in the meetings of the general budget draft.

It seems that many haven't yet understood the amount of money which brothers Ahmed and Salman Atiyatullah Al Khalifa stole from state funds.

The ruling family has not yet disclosed the real surpluses it has gained from the increase in oil prices, as well as the ways in which these surpluses have been disbursed, which have mostly gone to private pockets or budgets for refurbishing old helicopters.

he Finance Committee of the House of Representatives in Bahrain recommended not to approve the final account of the state for the year 2021, which includes all amounts of actual expenditures and revenues for that fiscal year.

The big question remains in the minds of citizens: Why does the government of Bahrain continue to issue sukuk and borrow despite the high oil prices and the large amount of liquidity generated from the oil trade?

Official government data revealed that the revenues of the Abu Sa'afa field in the general budget increased to more than BD 1.33 billion in 2021, compared to BD 730 million revenues it achieved in 2020, and a growth rate of about 82%, as a result of the increase in oil prices in the global markets.

Official government data revealed that the revenues of the Abu Sa'afa field in the general budget increased to more than BD 1.33 billion in 2021, compared to BD 730 million revenues it achieved in 2020, and a growth rate of about 82%, as a result of the increase in oil prices in the global markets.

The Government could have remained silent and issued no statement on the financial savings made by the state treasury with the increase of oil prices, instead of declaring false figures.

Bahrain holds the largest stake in a British luxury sports car manufacturer. However, this company is facing significant financial difficulties as well as challenges in the automotive industry in general.

The government's amendments to the retirement system made last April linked the annual increase of retirees' pay to the financial surplus.

Why is it that the Bahraini Finance Minister is talking about the state budget deficit while oil prices increased more than double the price set by the government?

The fate of about 1 billion dinars ($2.6 billion) from last year's budget remains unknown so far. Only the ruling family can answer where this large sum went.

Oil prices increased significantly last year, compared to what the government adopted in the state budget, which raises the same questions repeated annually about the fate of the amounts collected as a result of the price increase.

Raising Bahrain's public debt ceiling to 15 billion dinars ($39.682 billion) puts further pressure on the country's public budget, while plans to pay off accumulated debts since Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa took office in 1999 are absent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged Bahrain to implement fiscal reforms and lower its public debt, which increased sharply last year as the coronavirus crisis hurt the small oil-producing Gulf state.

Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society launched an analytical piece on the Kingdom's public budget from 2016 to 2022.

The House of Representatives approved (Tuesday, March 2, 2021) the State Budget draft for 2021-2022