Private developers owned 195 of Bahrain's 213.22 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD) of desalination capacity in 2022, about 91%. Yet the buyer of that water, the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), is still a government authority whose tariffs need Council of Ministers approval. A draft law before parliament would change that.
A regulator and a company
The draft Electricity and Water Sector Regulation Law would split EWA into an independent regulator and a national operating company. It was referred to parliament in 2025, and parliament's public utilities and environment committee was studying it in April and May 2026. MPs have pressed for tariffs to be set in the law itself rather than left to a regulator.
Prices are already moving
The water rate for non-subsidised customers rose from 750 to 775 fils per cubic metre in January 2026. Bahraini households with a single account still pay 25 fils for their first 60 m³ and 80 fils up to 100 m³. A sewage services fee of 20% of the water charge was also due from January 2026, with citizens' primary residences excluded.
Collections under scrutiny
Unpaid electricity and water bills stood at BD 84 million in a 2026 parliamentary answer. Between November 2025 and February 2026, 15,554 accounts were disconnected for non-payment. On 25 October 2026, six MPs sought a parliamentary inquiry into bills and subsidies.
Why developers are watching
Two more private desalination plants are in procurement: Hidd at 60 MIGD and Sitra at 30 MIGD. Their owners will sell water to whichever offtaker the law leaves in place, at tariffs set by whoever the law makes responsible.
The full report covers where Bahrain's water comes from, how the institutions divide the water cycle, how tariffs compare with EWA's published unit cost, which projects are at which stage, and what the climate adaptation plan would cost. The full report, Bahrain Country Intelligence Profile, is available for USD 99 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/bahrain-country-intelligence-profile. For a free overview, see https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/countries/bahrain.