Bahrain’s tallest residential towers, the Golden Gate project at Bahrain Bay has made steady progress since construction began on site in September 2018.

“Over a year has elapsed and we have achieved very good progress at the site while completing all the foundation works,” Anas Kooheji, executive director, sales and marketing, tells ABDULAZIZ KHATTAK of Gulf Construction.

The project, a 50-50 joint venture between Bahraini-based Kooheji Golden Gate (KGG) and Indian real estate companies Ajmera Realty and Mayfair Housing, aims to set a new benchmark for the real estate sector in Bahrain. Al Jameel and Aaref Sadeq are the construction partners.

Rebar being assembled for the raft foundation.

Set to rise to a height of 245 m above ground, Golden Gate consists of two towers of 45 and 53 storeys with a total of 746 luxurious apartments – 286 and 460 apartments in each tower, respectively.

The project achieved a major milestone last year when it carried out a record concrete pour to construct a 3-m-deep raft foundation.

Kooheji says the whole raft foundation pour operation was executed in three stages taking 35 hours each over the weekend period, minimising disruption to traffic while more than 1,000 readymix concrete mixer trucks delivered the concrete.

The raft foundation involved 9,200 cu m of high-strength readymix concrete and 1,800 tonnes of high-strength reinforcement bars.

In other works done so far, 362 contiguous piles have been installed around the site perimeter to protect nearby assets and to facilitate very deep excavations over three basements levels. In addition, some 377 structural piles have been installed to support the overall podium.

Efficient mechanisms were put in place during work. For example, when working four floors below ground level, close to the south canal and below the groundwater levels, the whole site was dewatered with a very efficient dewatering system while ensuring that the removed groundwater was responsibly discharged into the sea, complying with stringent environmental regulations.

“The process has been progressing very smoothly and safely without any damage to adjacent areas. The structure has risen above the ground now and we would expect the Golden Gate towers to rise relatively faster in coming months,” says Kooheji.

Differentiating the project from others, Kooheji says Golden Gate will offer bigger apartments, amazing prices, fantastic location, unobstructed views, abundance of facilities, high return on investment, high car-parking space ratio, numerous food and beverage (F&B) outlets within walking distance and, above all, the highest gross floor area (GFA).

There are two prominent retail and F&B concepts in the neighbourhood – The Park and The Wharf. A canal cleanly divides Bahrain Bay’s offices and commercial segment from the residential.

There will be eight storeys for car parking – three basement levels and five above ground, in addition to various amenities for the residents including a squash and basketball courts, jogging track and rock climbing wall, children’s play area and club, separate pools for men, women and children, dining area, separate gyms for men and women, lounge, library, cinema, aerobics and yoga hall, separate prayer rooms and salons for men and women, a board room, business centre, executive club and a conference room and a multipurpose hall. In addition, there will be cafes and restaurants all available on site for residents.

On the sales front, Golden Gate was already 80 per cent sold even before completing the ground floor.

“We are very proud of the way our project has been received in the market and we are thankful for the confidence that has been placed in us by our customers, banks, and the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera),” says Kooheji.

Meanwhile, commenting on Bahrain’s real estate market, Kooheji says it is improving thanks to many factors, mainly the introduction of Rera over a year ago.

“We believe the Bahrain market will improve further during 2020 and there will be growth in all sectors especially infrastructure, transportation and real estate as per the country’s Vision 2030.”

Kooheji says the adjustment of various laws and the introduction of modern processes by Rera have made the market more efficient and better regulated.