Medical Disposables Supplier for Bahrain

Bahrain at a glance

Medical device regulator

National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA); only a registered local authorised representative can apply to register a device

Licensing

Importers, distributors and authorised representatives need an NHRA licence (Decision No. 48 of 2020)

Public-sector buying

Tender Board (eTendering); national unified procurement committee for medicines and medical supplies under the Supreme Council of Health

Main sea entry

Khalifa Bin Salman Port, Hidd (APM Terminals, 1 million TEU capacity)

Land link

King Fahd Causeway, 25 km, to Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia

Customs

GCC Customs Union: duty-free entry with certificates from the first single entry point

Ships from

India, or our warehouse in Ras Al Khor, Dubai

NHRA registration and licensing

Bahrain's National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) regulates medical devices. Its registration guideline states that only registered authorised representatives can apply to register a medical device, and registered devices are published on the NHRA website together with the representative that holds them. Under NHRA Decision No. 48 of 2020, importers, distributors, manufacturers and authorised representatives must hold an NHRA licence, and registered representatives can take part in national tenders.

The treatment of low-risk devices is the point to check. NHRA's registration guideline (version 8.0) makes registration mandatory for medium- and high-risk devices and optional for low-risk ones, whereas an earlier NHRA presentation described registration for all devices with a grace period. Gowns, caps, aprons and shoe covers are often placed in the lowest risk class, but the class of each item, and whether it must be listed, should be confirmed with NHRA by your representative.

How the public sector buys

The Tender Board is the regulatory body that supervises government bidding, procurement and sales in Bahrain and runs the national eTendering system. Medicines and medical supplies for government hospitals, primary care centres and military hospitals are bought through a national unified procurement committee under the Supreme Council of Health; in January 2026 the Tender Board awarded BD 139.9 million of medicines, vaccines and serums for 2026 and 2027 through that process.

Demand at the main public hospital is high. Salmaniya Medical Complex averaged 80% bed occupancy in 2024, with intensive care units at 90%, and 56 beds were added that year. Bahrain's population was estimated at 1,594,654 in December 2024.

Khalifa Bin Salman Port and the causeway

Khalifa Bin Salman Port at Hidd is operated by APM Terminals under a 25-year concession, with a current capacity of 1 million TEU, a customs-bonded facility and reefer points. APM Terminals names its primary hinterland as Bahrain and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, reached over the King Fahd Causeway, which runs 25 km from Al Aziziah, south of Al Khobar, to Al Jasra, west of Manama.

Under the GCC Customs Union, goods are granted duty-free entry when the importer presents certificates issued by the first single entry point, so duty is paid once within the union. Device registration does not travel the same way: a product registered in Saudi Arabia still needs NHRA treatment to be sold in Bahrain, and the reverse.