Bahrain Property Auctions: What Decision No. 49 of 2026 Changes
An explanation of Bahrain's Decision No. 49 of 2026 on property-auction bidding, repeat auctions, payment deadlines and registration of ownership.
AHMED MAHMOUD SAYED HASSAN ELSOFANY — 03/11/2026
Bahrain's Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf issued Decision No. 49 of 2026 on 18 June 2026, amending provisions of Decision No. 23 of 2022 on the attachment and sale of a judgment debtor's property and distribution of the proceeds.
The Decision regulates the procedures for selling attached properties at public auction, the conduct of bidding, the award of the sale, payment of the outstanding price and transfer of ownership to the successful bidder.
Public Bidding and the Successful Bidder
The replacement Article 8 requires bidding procedures to be clear, transparent and publicly available. A person appointed to conduct the sale carries out the auction. Prospective bidders must follow the prescribed registration and initial-deposit procedures, and bidding starts at the base price set by the execution court judge.
The bidder submitting the highest offer when bidding closes is treated as the successful bidder. The person conducting the sale must prepare a record of the bidding procedures, highest offers and judicial expenses, and submit it to the execution court judge within no more than three days of bidding closing.
When Must the Auction Be Repeated?
The execution court judge must repeat the bidding procedures if no bidder comes forward, if an error is identified in the announcement or bidding procedures, or if the successful bidder cannot register ownership for a reason not attributable to that bidder.
Payment of the Remaining Price
Under the amended fourth paragraph of Article 12, the successful purchaser must deposit the remaining price with the court treasury within two weeks. That period runs from expiry of the time for a grievance and appeal against the sale-award decision without either being submitted, or from their determination if they are submitted, as applicable.
Once the balance is deposited within the prescribed period, the purchaser receives copies of the judgment permitting the sale and the sale-award decision. These are submitted to the Survey and Land Registration Bureau for transfer of ownership into the purchaser's name.
Repeals and Commencement
The Decision repeals Article 13 of Decision No. 23 of 2022 and Decision No. 123 of 2019 on the rules and procedures for sale of mortgaged property at public auction. Its commencement clause provides that it takes effect on the day following publication in the Official Gazette.