Nestled between two of Bahrain’s most distinctive skylines – the Seef District and the Bahrain Financial Harbour – which feature some of the nation’s tallest towers, a new man-made island is being developed that will boast a low-rise exclusive residential community offering the ultimate heights of luxury.

The BD466 million ($1.25 billion) Lulu Island project, a pioneering real estate development in the heart of Bahrain’s capital city, is being developed by Lulu Tourism Company, a partnership between the Government of Bahrain and The Mouawad Group For Real Estate Development.
“Our objective is to create a unique low-rise environment that caters to the residential and leisure requirements of our clients. Lulu Island will be one of the few projects that will not lay claim to featuring skyscrapers – apart from the Icon Tower. We aim to make it the residence of choice for the elite. Every building will have a sea view,” Elias Karaan, general manager of Lulu Tourism Company, told GCM during an exclusive interview.
Reclamation work on the project was completed in 2005 and marine works – which were awarded to Ahmed Mansoor Al A’Ali (AMA) under a BD8 million deal – are due for completion next month (February). AMA was selected to undertake the infrastructure works under a separate BD13 million contract, which is scheduled for completion in October 2007. The scope of infrastructure works includes a district cooling network, a sewage treatment plant, water drainage, a power station, and electricity and water networks.
Tenders are now imminent for the main buildings package, which is targeted for award by March. The estimated BD50 million contract will involve the construction of eight residential buildings – ranging from seven to 13 storeys in height – 49 chalets and nine villas. The construction period will be 18 months, according to Karaan.
“We will develop a few parts of the island with model buildings and will sell the rest as plots, which will have to be built to our design guidelines within a specific timeframe by their developers,” he says. “Each building, set in a landscaped garden, will sit on varying plot sizes. For example, the first building we are developing will occupy a 4,300 sq m plot but will have a footprint of just 2,000 sq m, while another building occupies a 7,130 sq m site and has a footprint of 3,200.”
Another striking aspect of the project is that the car-parking spaces will be located within basement levels that cover the entire plot areas. Only limited visitor parking will be allocated in surface parking areas.
The gated and exclusive residential community, spread over an area of 563,000 sq m, will be supported by a comprehensive array of amenities.
“The project is big enough to be a self-sufficient city but small enough to ensure exclusivity, tranquillity and a pleasurable lifestyle,” he points out.
Designed by Australia-based Spowers and Pentago, the freehold development will feature 39 waterfront residential buildings with a total of 1,217 apartments, a 50-storey residential tower known as the Icon Tower, 50 stylish chalets, and 67 luxurious individual villas either overlooking a private beach or the northern shore.
A 250-room five-star hotel with 42 serviced apartments, restaurants, gymnasium and shopping arcades will also be built. The hotel will be managed by the Rosewood Group (which manages the Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh apart from two other properties in Saudi Arabia).
“We are currently looking for developers and investors to build various components of the development, particularly the hotel and the mall,” he says.
The 50-storey Icon Tower has already been sold to a private developer and is currently in the design stage, according to Karaan.
Another key component of the development is a state-of-the-art spa village with beach and multiple treatment suites.
Other major attractions will include:
• A one-of-its-kind aquarium;
• A shopping mall;
• An ultramodern medical centre;
• A multipurpose convention and exhibition centre;
• Man-made seawater lagoons; and
• Private marina and yacht club, which offers berthing facilities for 110-m-long yachts.
“The project will also boast one of the largest swimming pools in the world – measuring around 200 m by 50 m,” Karaan says.
The landscaping and infrastructure of Lulu Island will provide residents with an environment with an abundance of natural elements. Water features, parks and diversified greenery will be set in elaborate and artistic street furniture.
The project will be completed in phases by 2010, with the first residents expected to move in by 2009.
Other firms involved in the project include Scott Wilson, the engineering firm for marine works and infrastructure, while Davis Langdon is the project and cost manager. Hyder Consulting is the traffic consultant and Posford Haskoning is the environmental consultant. The Lulu Tourism Company is under the chairmanship of Robert Mouawad, a world-renowned Lebanese jeweller and entrepreneur, who undoubtedly aims to leave a lasting impression and a jewel on Bahrain’s horizon with the Lulu – which is Arabic for pearl.