Work has started on the first phase of the BD5 million ($13.26 million) project to renovate Bahrain’s Manama suq.

The committee in charge of developing the suq has received the designs for review for final approval, Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Ali Al Saleh said last month.
Al Saleh said the team’s duty was to speed up procedures for the necessary licences for the project. He said the relevant directorate at his ministry was currently surveying 18 properties that will be bought by the government and will soon issue cost estimates.
“There is also a proposal to build a multi-storey car park building to accommodate 580 cars at one of the locations at the Manama suq,” he added.
The minister said the first phase of the project includes the development of the old government building, which would take around 15 months to complete.
Other development work includes the Shaikh Abdulla Road and Bab Al Bahrain road intersection and building a public square in 10 months.
He said this will also include developing the facades of buildings on Bab Al Bahrain and Al Mutanabi roads, all the way to the Traders Road, within four months.