Bribery Crimes In The Private Sector In Bahrain

In the past, legislation across the GCC and Levant has been limited in application because anti-bribery provisions have been restricted exclusively to conduct involving the public sector.

As a result, national penal code articles outlawing corruption, bribery, and embezzlement were of narrow scope and offered only partial protection against similar offences committed in the private sector. Incitements or gifts of any kind that were exchanged between private sector entities were not criminalised under the law. This oversight caused an imbalance in business conditions and impacted the ability of private-sector participants to compete on equal terms. Moreover, it had the potential to foster an environment where canvassing and covert solicitation was a common part of business culture.