| Work Detail |
New projects will include hotels, apartments and office buildings, as well as shopping complexes, hypermarkets, cinemas and family entertainment attractions Bahrain - Plans for new private investments and infrastructure developments in Sakhir, Zallaq and the area around Al Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve were unanimously approved by the Southern Municipal Council at its regular meeting yesterday. New projects will include hotels, apartments and office buildings, as well as shopping complexes, hypermarkets, cinemas and family entertainment attractions. Councillors believe there has been little development in the area despite being home to the Formula One circuit, a campus of Bahrain University, Al Jazayer public beach and an indoor skydiving centre. “We are very happy that the governorate is getting noticed, especially the Sakhir, Zallaq and Al Areen areas, with the Bahrain International Circuit and Exhibition World Bahrain at the forefront,” said council chairman Abdulla Abdullatif. “We welcome all future investments and will provide them all necessary support for success,” he added. “This is why the government has to put a short, medium and long-term plan for the area.” He noted that the 35th edition of the Autumn Fair, which starts today at Exhibition World Bahrain, is Bahrain’s largest consumer exhibition visited by people from all across the region for bargain buys. The GDN reported in May last year that a state-of-the-art ‘Education City’ could be built in the area. The council proposed that a new planned sports city is upgraded to a more comprehensive complex similar to the Qatar Foundation’s Education City in Doha which features a World Cup football stadium, the region’s biggest public library, branch campuses of some of the world’s leading educational institutes, a homegrown research university, start-up incubators, technology parks, heritage sites and cultural institutions. Works Minister Ibrahim Al Hawaj recently told MPs that the sporting centre of excellence was on the drawing board, with consultants having completed detailed drawings and working on a final version, alongside tender requirements. Work on the project could be completed within 36 months, once contractual agreements are in place. The sports city project will include building the largest integrated stadium in the kingdom, which will be capable of accommodating up to 50,000 spectators. It will also include a multi-purpose hall capable of seating up to 10,000 spectators, football pitches that meet international standards, athletics tracks and Olympic-sized swimming pools. It will also include a shopping mall and hotels in order to host visitors from aboard and attract additional tourism. Mr Al Hawaj told councillors in writing that a number of infrastructure projects worth millions of dinars in the governorate are already being implemented or ready to be implemented. Roads, sewage, street lights and water and electricity networks for the projects were being finalised with the concerned ministries. The projects include the first phase of development in Buhair Valley, the roads of the new Sports City in Sakhir, expansion work on Shaikh Salman Highway and Road 77. “We have completed work on the first phase of roads south of Alba Industrial Area, the car parks at Khalifa Town Health Centre, new car parks at Bahrain University’s campus in Sakhir and construction of Road 5050 and internal routes. We have also paved temporary roads in Jaw, Askar and Jari Al Shaikh,” said the minister. “Ongoing projects include developing roads in the Educational Area in Isa Town (phase two), roads between Hejayat and Mahzoora Avenues (phase two), and a complete makeover of Hejayat Avenue,” he added. “Other ongoing projects include internal roads in Zallaq, East Riffa, West Riffa and Louzi Area, besides maintenance of roads in Hunainiya and Gulf of Bahrain Highway. Roads in Riffa, Jaw, Al Dur and Khalifa Town will also be revamped.” Mr Al Hawaj said new massive roadwork projects that include new underpasses, flyovers and lane-expansions are on the way to ease congestion on Bahrain’s road networks. |
