About LevantBMS leadership
LevantBMS is led by an experienced British lawyer — a graduate of three British universities — with 20+ years in Bahrain and 40+ total years of legal experience across the UK, KSA and Bahrain. Expertise covers corporate finance, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, investment banking, oil & gas, M&A, rights issues and IPOs. He is a former Executive Director, Head of Legal, Compliance and Board Secretary for a GCC investment bank, and is approved by the Central Bank of Bahrain as Head of Legal and Compliance.
LevantBMS specializes in CBB-regulated companies (investment companies Category 1, 2 & 3, insurance and crypto), as well as medical and industrial companies.
Step-by-step guide to incorporation
1. Choose a business structure
- Sole Proprietorship (Bahrainis and GCC nationals only).
- Partnership Company / Limited Liability Company (WLL) — the most commonly used.
- Single Person Company (SPC) — now called WLL.
- Public Shareholding Company (BSC).
- Closed Shareholding Company (BSC Closed).
- Foreign Company Branch.
- Holding Company.
2. Reserve a company name
A unique name approved by MOIC.
3. Draft the Memorandum and Articles of Association
Prepared per Bahrain's Commercial Companies Law.
4. Obtain initial approval
Submit the proposed company name, draft MOA/AOA and shareholder ID documents to MOICT.
5. Open a bank account
Deposit the required capital and obtain a bank certificate. There is no minimum capital for most commercial companies, but statutory requirements exist for investment companies, crypto and fund administrators.
6. Register the company
Submit final documents to MOICT: bank-deposit certificate, final MOA/AOA, initial-approval certificate and the office-lease agreement.
7. Obtain necessary licenses
Industry-specific licenses from the relevant authorities.
8. Register with the Social Insurance Organization (SIO)
Required if you are hiring employees.
9. Register for VAT
If annual turnover exceeds the mandatory threshold, register with the National Bureau for Revenue (NBR).
10. Register with LMRA
To obtain the investor visa and work permits for staff.
Key considerations
- Minimum-capital requirements vary by company type.
- Bahrain allows 100% foreign ownership in many sectors, with exceptions in trading, construction and contracting.