Audit in Bahrain

An audit in Bahrain is a requirement for most of the company forms a foreign owner is likely to use. The Sijilat business types page states that a W.L.L. must appoint one or more auditors, and that the partners may file a solvency letter from the auditor instead of the financial report unless losses reach 50% of the share capital. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce’s procedures guide says a single person company needs an external auditor too. Under Article 348 of the Commercial Companies Law, a foreign company’s Bahrain branch deposits its audited financial statements within six months after the end of the financial year.

When you compare auditors, ask who will sign the report and which body registered that person. Ask whether the same practice also keeps your books, since many groups prefer to keep the two separate, and how early in the year the audit fieldwork starts so that the six-month window is not missed. If your parent company reports under a group framework, ask whether the auditor can also prepare the reporting pack your group auditor needs.

Accountanty lists 23 firms offering audit in Bahrain: 18 accounting firms, four corporate service providers and one law firm. Five belong to large networks, three are medium-sized and 15 are small, and ten focus on foreign clients. Twenty are in Manama and two in Seef.

Firms offering audit in Bahrain

Frequently asked questions

Does every W.L.L. in Bahrain need an auditor?

Sijilat says a W.L.L. must appoint at least one auditor. The partners can submit a solvency letter from the auditor in place of the financial report, unless losses reach 50% of the share capital. Ask your auditor which document fits your year.

When are a Bahrain branch's audited accounts due?

The Commercial Companies Law asks a branch of a foreign company to deposit a copy of its audited financial statements within six months after the end of the financial year. Agree the audit timetable with your firm early so the deadline holds.

Can my bookkeeper also be my auditor in Bahrain?

Some firms offer both, but many owners and groups keep the two roles apart so that the auditor reviews work it did not prepare. Ask the firm how it separates the teams if you buy both services from it.

Other services in Bahrain

Accountants by city in Bahrain

Setting up a company in Bahrain: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.