Twenty-three contractors have been shortlisted to develop the infrastructure and services for the $1 billion (BD378 million) Amwaj Islands project in Bahrain.

The resort-style city is being developed northeast of Muharraq by Ossis Property Developers.

The contractor, who will be responsible to bring in all services to the island, will be appointed by the end of this month.

"Work on the island is well ahead of schedule, and a road connecting to the mainland has already been completed," said Saud Abdulaziz Kanoo, chairman of Ossis Property Developers.

"Saraya Properties will start construction of houses at Amwaj next month. The housing complex will be called Saraya Al Bahar. Sixty per cent of the reclamation work has also been completed. The reclamation of a total of 1.6 million sq m of land is to be finished by Boskalis by the end of August," he added.

The first hotel on the island complex would be ready for tendering within eight weeks, said Kanoo. The four-star project, with 160 rooms and a private beach, are on the design board. An agreement will be signed soon with an international hotel chain to manage the project.

Special packages are being offered for international fast food and restaurant chains. They will be allotted land plots, said Kanoo, against payment in easy instalments over a three-year period.

"Mass dredging is also taking place to develop a Venice-style resort in an exclusive area of the complex," he added.

"The 280,000 sq m area will feature chalets, accessible by boats, and it will prove a great attraction to international tourists.

"Plans have also been finalised to develop the island into a Smart City. We have signed an agreement with US-based Cisco Systems and Oracle to look at the initial infrastructure for a multi-service networking," Kanoo said.