The research investigates Bahrain’s citizen journalism practices through the lens of national development goals, including Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 16, which prioritise public participation and information transparency. It uses qualitative data from ten active citizen journalists to study their contributions to public dialogue and local oversight despite their independent status from traditional media organisations. The local audience shows growing trust in citizen journalism, notwithstanding the lack of official recognition, because these journalists effectively cover underrepresented issues. Their professional activities have characteristics of semi-professional work through their specialised digital skills, ethical commitment and independent operational capabilities. The absence of legal protections and the inclusion of national media strategies hinder citizen journalists from achieving full legitimacy and operational capacity. The research presents a customised framework of soft professionalisation to address the situation. The proposed model introduces simple access points for maintaining credibility and sustainability through optional training programs and public awards while maintaining editorial autonomy. The research reveals that Bahraini citizen journalism exists as a developing and flexible media production method that supports national development objectives. It proposes that institutions recognise these actors more broadly and suggests additional research about policy attitudes, regional comparisons and long-term trends of non-institutional media in the Gulf.