Payroll software in Bahrain: SIO, WPS and end-of-service
A payroll in Bahrain has to get three things right every month: SIO contributions, the LMRA WPS file, and end-of-service accruing on the right wage. Here is what each involves, how AhlanHamad runs them, and how the payroll systems that serve Bahrain compare.
What a payroll in Bahrain must do
Social insurance
Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) contributions apply to Bahrain's nationals and other GCC nationals; expatriates are enrolled in the work injury branch. The employee and the employer each pay a share, and the contributory wage has a ceiling — a single flat percentage gets higher earners wrong. Details
The WPS file
Bahrain's wage file is the LMRA salary spreadsheet: under the enhanced WPS you build or upload it in the LMRA's system, then approve the transfer in your bank's channel. Details
End-of-service
End-of-service is set by Bahrain Labour Law No. 36 of 2012 and computed on the basic wage plus the social allowance. Ask to see each employee's accrual every month, not only at exit. Details
How AhlanHamad runs payroll in Bahrain
- Approve the month's run; SIO is calculated for each employee it applies to, on the employee and employer shares.
- Yes — builds the LMRA salary spreadsheet from each approved payroll run
- Each employee's end-of-service accrues on the statutory wage basis, so the liability is visible every month, not only at exit.
- Payslips go out in Arabic and English, and employees see them in the employee app on their phone.
Payroll systems for Bahrain compared
Last updated:
| Software | LMRA WPS file | SIO calculation | Arabic interface | Public pricing | Free trial | Hosting region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AhlanHamad | Yes — builds the LMRA salary spreadsheet from each approved payroll run [1] | Yes — SIO employee and employer shares, with the contributory-wage ceiling [2] | Yes — the full product and site in Arabic and English [3] | Yes — prices published per employee [4] | Yes — 30 days, no card required [5] | A Convex cloud region on AWS, outside the GCC; in-country hosting available by contract [6] |
| ZenHR | Its blog lists a Bahrain LMRA file among the files it generates [7] | Not stated publicly [8] | Yes — Arabic and English interface [9] | Quote-based; its FAQ says prices start at US$8 per user per month, billed annually [10] | Not stated publicly [11] | Not stated publicly — says "regional data centers" without naming a country [9] |
| Zoho Payroll / Zoho People | Yes — states it auto-generates wage files to stay compliant with WPS; LMRA is not named [12] | Yes — states SIO compliance for Bahraini and GCC national employees [12] | Not stated publicly for the product — an Arabic edition of the website is offered [12] | Yes — Zoho Payroll from US$10 per organisation per month billed annually, 5 employees included, then US$2 per additional employee [13] | Yes — 14 days for Zoho Payroll [13] | Data centre set by the country chosen at signup; Bahrain is not a listed region [14] |
| gulfHR | States automated WPS file generation; the country is not specified [15] | Not stated publicly [15] | Yes — states "Arabic language support" [15] | Quote-based — "Get Your Free Demo & Quote" [15] | A 30-day free pilot for companies with 500+ employees [15] | Not stated publicly — says cloud hosting, without naming a country [15] |
Methodology: every fact about another product comes from that vendor's own public website on 15 October 2026, and links to the page it was read from. Where a vendor's site does not say, the cell reads "Not stated publicly" — we do not infer. No ratings or reviews are included. Details change; confirm with each vendor before deciding, and tell us if anything here is out of date so we can correct it.
Sources
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/en/wps/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/en/social-insurance/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/ar/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/en/pricing/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/en/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/legal/subprocessors/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://blog.zenhr.com/en/wps-salary-transfers-in-the-gcc-ksa-uae-bahrain-qatar — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://blog.zenhr.com/en/best-hr-software-for-gcc-compliance-saudi-arabia-uae-qatar-bahrain-2026-guide — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/hr-software-kuwait — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/faqs — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/zenhr-pricing — accessed 15 October 2026
- Zoho Payroll / Zoho People: https://www.zoho.com/en-bh/payroll/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- Zoho Payroll / Zoho People: https://www.zoho.com/en-bh/payroll/pricing/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- Zoho Payroll / Zoho People: https://www.zoho.com/know-your-datacenter.html — accessed 15 October 2026
- gulfHR: https://gulfhr.com/ — accessed 15 October 2026
Free Bahrain payroll tools
Details of other products are taken from each vendor's public website on 15 October 2026 and may have changed since. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify them. General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays SIO in Bahrain?
Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) contributions apply to Bahrain's nationals and other GCC nationals; expatriates are enrolled in the work injury branch. The employee and the employer each pay a share, and the contributory wage has a ceiling — a single flat percentage gets higher earners wrong.
How does the LMRA WPS file work?
Bahrain's wage file is the LMRA salary spreadsheet: under the enhanced WPS you build or upload it in the LMRA's system, then approve the transfer in your bank's channel. AhlanHamad builds the file from your approved run; you stay in control of the submission.
How is end-of-service calculated in Bahrain?
End-of-service is set by Bahrain Labour Law No. 36 of 2012 and computed on the basic wage plus the social allowance. Ask to see each employee's accrual every month, not only at exit.
How much does AhlanHamad payroll cost?
Prices are published per employee per month on the pricing page, with every module included, and there is a 30-day free trial with no card required.