BAHRAIN’S King last month ordered two new cities to be constructed in the kingdom immediately.

HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa  also issued directives to carry out new housing projects across Bahrain while appointing a new housing minister, Dr Majeed Al Alawi, in an effort to solve the nation’s housing shortage.

Reports said the two cities and the housing schemes would together accommodate as many as  20,000 families.
The cities will be located to the east of Sitra and Hidd respectively, to complete a string of four other cities being constructed in the Northern, Southern and Central governorates as well as Muharraq.

Bids are expected to be invited soon to undertake reclamation work for the cities.

Meanwhile, work was to start immediately on a number of other housing schemes in Hoorat Sanad, Nuwaidrat, Al Hunainya, Jaw, Askar, Riffa, Galalim Western Busaiteen, Al Dair, Samaheej, Muharraq, Zallaq, Al Malkiya, Jidhafs, Al Burhama, Bilad Al Qadim and the Northern Town.

The two new cities would include 11,600 houses while the housing projects would also provide up to 8,400 units, in addition to 5,600 others under construction.

Previously the labour minister, Dr Al Alawi’s new post was part of a major cabinet reshuffle initiated by the ruling Khalifas as part of an effort to quell the wave of civil unrest within the kingdom’s Shia community currently affecting the kingdom.