A million ($1.7 billion) project to build an idyllic lake-studded resort close to an international standard horse-racing course and equestrian club is expected to break ground this year, according to a spokesman for Bahrain Wiggins, the promoter.

The Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Horse Racing Club project, which will cover a 3.7 million sq m area around the existing race course in Sakhir, will include a variety of components including a six-star hotel, a large shopping mall, 1,000 luxury villas and 1,500 apartments, all set in plush greenery.
 “We have conducted extensive studies and research to ensure that the development will be unique – offering features that will be the first of their kind worldwide,” says Mahmood Ahmed, CEO of Bahrain Wiggins. “We have engaged the services of Italian landscape designer Paghera of The Palm (Dubai) fame, which has based the designs on its green philosophy and looked into almost every detail - right from the soil which will be imported, to the lighting and furniture and fittings and to the residential component which takes bioarchitectural aspects into consideration.”
Australia-based Spowers, a firm of architects, facility and development advisers, has carried out the masterplan for the complex.
The project has already received the go-ahead from the Bahrain Royal Court as well as the Ministry of Finance.
Designs are currently being finalised and Ahmed expects construction work to start on site within the next 10 months with completion targeted for 2010. Work on the race track and the equestrian club is scheduled to be finished in two years, according to Ahmed.
“In the first phase we will launch work on the properties such as the villas and apartments as well as the landscaping, which will generate funds to initiate work on the race course,” says Ahmed.
Investors – both local and international – are being given a chance to invest in the project, with Bahrain Wiggins now seeking joint venture partners to develop the properties.
“We are ready to provide all the support and facilities to investors so long as they build to our specifications,' says Ahmed. 'We have received a number of offers from banks and investors and are working towards finalizing these deals.”
He continues: “The project enjoys a unique location and innovative design and is backed by the government. It will promote tourism in Bahrain while putting the country firmly on the world map as a horse racing destination.”
The race course and equestrian club will be developed and managed by Wiggins on a 99-year lease from the Bahrain government. However, the villas and apartments will be freehold properties, which will be sold to citizens, GCC nationals and expatriates.
Race course
While the existing race track will be retained, the project includes the complete rebuilding of the equestrian club premises at an estimated cost of $500 million.
The aim is to make the club one of the most prestigious horse racing arenas in the region and Wiggins has appointed Racing Victoria Limited of Australia to promote the race course on an international level as well as manage it.
The project will include the enhancement of the existing racetrack to accommodate night races and a grandstand with extensive climate-controlled zones. The club complex will include sports shopping facilities, VIP lounges, restaurants and cafes, and state-of-the-art veterinary facilities.
It will have satellite link-up with other race courses worldwide, so that members and their guests can view races across the globe in real time. The new club will also be equipped with state-of-the-art electronic systems.
Other features planned include schools for training horses and jockeys and riding schools.
Hotel, mall & villas
The hotel, mall, villas and apartments will be set in a tropical setting interspersed with lakes of various sizes.
The 400-room hotel and the adjoining spa facility will have lakes containing sweet, salty, hot and cold water and provide all the facilities of a wellness resort. It will be managed by an international chain.
A striking feature of the shopping mall – which is expected to be bigger than the Seef Mall – is a waterway that flows through and around the complex.
The villas and apartments radiate from a focal structure – the Wadi, which has been built around caves and waterfalls and includes a choice of 15 dining outlets.  The villas, targeted at three segments of the market – middle, upmarket and exclusive – will range in value from BD150,000 to BD250,000.  Apartments too will be offered in a range of designs and sizes.
Ernst & Young is the financial adviser for the project.