Yes. Collecting pearls from Bahrain's seabed needs a licence from the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture (marine resources).
Personal licence for fishing and extracting pearls
- Only for Bahraini nationals aged 18 or over.
- Bring a copy of your smart (ID) card and the ownership papers of your boat if you have one.
- You must have attended the training workshop of the Supreme Council for Environment and show its certificate.
- Fee: 25 BD a year.
Pearl-diving trip centres
- Companies that take people out on pearl-diving trips need their own licence. They must hold a CR that covers pearl extraction and give ID copies of all their staff.
- Fee: 50 BD when applying.
Because the personal licence is for citizens only, residents and visitors who are not Bahraini would need to go with a licensed trip centre; ask the centre what it includes.
The catch: the workshop certificate is required before the licence. Book the Supreme Council for Environment workshop first, as the licence is not issued without it.
Steps
- Attend the Supreme Council for Environment pearl-diving workshop.
- Fill in the Ministry's licence form with your ID copy (and boat papers if any).
- Pay 25 BD; renew every year.