Saudi Arabia and the UAE led the way in January 2018 with the introduction of a 5 percent value-added tax (VAT) as part of the unified GCC VAT Agreement – and Bahrain followed suit in January 2019. This measure in Bahrain, however, could be facing some hiccups.

Value-added tax (VAT) is a type of consumption tax that is placed on the supply of goods and services. It takes into account the “value added” at every step of the supply chain. The GCC framework on VAT, which has been spurred by efforts toward tax transparency and the GCC’s diversification goals, gives sufficient leeway for member states to be flexible on VAT implementation in industries based on local contexts and specifications. Bahrain, for instance, has decided to exclude oil products from VAT, as part of its essential goods exclusion.