The designs for a Marina Village, one of the components of the Durrat Al Bahrain project, are close to being finalised.

When completed, the village will offer 13 blocks comprising 300 apartments and a shopping arcade. It will also have a clubhouse, restaurants, coastguard station, and a 320-berth marina.

The developer, Durrat Khaleej Al Bahrain Company, is a joint venture between Saudi-based Dallah Al Baraka Group and the Bahrain government.

The mega resort is being built on the south-east end of the island, about 10 km south of the Shaikh Isa Air Base and will be implemented in several phases. The entire project will cover 20 million sqm and cost $1.2 billion.

Construction of the aqua park, launched as the first phase of the development, is now completed and it should open to the public by next summer.

The first phase off-shore development of the project involves a 25,000,000 cu m dredging and 20 sq km land reclamation works.

The entire Durrat Al Bahrain project is scheduled for completion by 2006. When it is finished it will add an extra 30 km of coastline to Bahrain.

A law was passed allowing nationals and expatriates to own property at Durrat Bahrain.