The kingdom of Bahrain has unveiled an ambitious housing plan that will see the setting up of several housing projects in various governorates in the coming months.

Early last month, MPs had called for a BD30 million ($79.8 million) increase in the national budget, to build more houses during an extraordinary session of parliament. The session sought to discuss a government request for a BD6.2 million general budget increase for this year, to meet extra costs.
According to officials at the Housing and Works Ministry, more than 1,500 families in the Muharraq Governorate are expected to benefit from a BD41 million ($109 million) housing project that is likely to take off in the near future.
The projects allocated to the area include two towns offering 1,000 new homes at a cost of BD30 million following an order from HM King Hamad during a visit to the area in October 2002.
Assistant under-secretary for housing Nabeel Abulfatih said the first of the two projects was a town west of Bahrain International Airport that would include 456 homes and cost BD12 million.
“The ministry has already started work on 212 homes which will be completed by October 2005, while the remaining homes are expected to be ready by May 2006,” Abulfatih said.
“The second town, which will have 550 homes spread over a 27-hectare area, will be built west of Busaiteen at an estimated cost of BD14 million,” he said.
Land reclamation for the project would be completed by the end of the year.
In addition to the two towns, the ministry is also working on developing a new area for 580 housing units, comprising 380 homes and 200 flats.
“The new development, which will be located in the area northeast of Muharraq, will consist of two new schools, a public park and a shopping area, among other facilities,” said Abulfatih, adding that work on land reclamation for the project was expected to start soon.
“Work is also continuing on 20 homes at the Halat Al Silta and Al Nuaimi islands, south of Arad,” he said.
“Land reclamation has been completed and the contractor has started work on the project which is expected to be completed by next year.”
Besides these projects, the first phase of a BD17 million ($45 million) housing development for Shakhura and neighbouring villages was inaugurated recently.
The first phase of the national village expansion project was launched in 1999 and has been completed, with housing projects built at Duraz and Mugsha’a, said a spokesman for the ministry.
The second phase of the project, which will begin with Shakhura, will include Samaheej, Nabih Saleh, Nuwaidrat, Dar Klaib and Sehla, thereby offering a total of 1,144 of housing plots and 1,063 homes, he said.
Initially 450 families stand to benefit from the new homes and housing plots being created in the Shakhura area. The ministry has received around 600 requests from residents in the area for housing units and plots.
Under the village expansion scheme, the ministry has allocated 195 homes and 261 housing plots over an area of 25 hectares for residents of Shakhura, Qadam, Hajar and Abu Saiba’a, he said.
Work on the homes, estimated at a cost of BD6.5 million, will start this month and is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2007. People looking to build their own homes will be able to apply for the plots allocated, the spokesman said.
The project comprises houses, flats, a public park, shops and a mosque.
The ministry is also considering buying a 36-hectare area in Arad for a housing project. “We estimate that the area will provide 500 housing plots and 300 homes,” an official said.
Authorities are due to start rebuilding 20 crumbling homes in Manama this month – the first households to benefit from a BD120 million ($319 million) nationwide renovation scheme.