Bahrain: A waterfront inspired by locations such as Sydney and Vancouver is being planned for Bahrain.
It is part of a 3.5km promenade that will wrap around Bahrain Bay, upcoming shopping destination The Avenues and Bahrain Financial Harbour.
Bahrain Bay chief executive Gagan Suri told the GDN he wanted it to be accessible to all and give the area a
“public face”.
“We’re about to change the face of Bahrain Bay and give it a public face,” he said.
“What’s missing here is life – we have offices, we have a hotel, but we don’t have a residential building – but it’s
coming soon.
“There will be life in the development once that happens in the evenings and the weekends as well.
“What’s missing right now is the life, the footfall, the traffic.
“Some of that will naturally come with the opening of The Avenues in the next six to eight months.
“We want to create a public realm – at the promenade, a park, we’re trying to get a couple of food and beverage outlets.
“Nothing that competes with The Avenues, everything we do should complement it.”
He said work had already begun on a half-kilometre stretch that would eventually link up with another 3km development to create a circular promenade at Bahrain Bay.
“In the winter months when you want to go for a walk with your wife and children, there’s not a lot of places in Bahrain,” Mr Suri said.
“We’re trying to create a nice promenade where people can park their cars and go for a walk and enjoy the outdoors.
“Ultimately, it’ll be an almost 3.5km circle going from us (in Arcapita Bank building), across to the bridge, to The Avenues and going back that way, to Bahrain Financial Harbour, and back to us.
“Our portion will be about half a kilometre.
“People will be able to go for a 3.5km run.
“It’s being built as we speak and making good progress.
“For us, the next step is building the South Park and something on the canal.
“We have a beautiful canal and we want to build something over there.”
Mr Suri said he envisioned a unique concept that didn’t yet exist in Bahrain, taking inspiration from the best features of waterfronts in Sydney and Beirut.
“It’s a combination of food, beverage and retail,” he said.
“It has to be something different and unique that doesn’t exist in Bahrain.
“We have a couple of interesting ideas in Bahrain – we’re getting close to a decision.
“Ideas are inspired by other things, regional and outside – a lot of waterfront areas in Sydney, Vancouver, Washington, DC, a couple of unique concepts in Dubai and Beirut.
“We’ve taken a little from all these places to create something new and unique for
Bahrain.
“Meanwhile, we’re also trying to find partners that will develop with us for this.”
He said as a master developer, the aim was to “sensibly” push developers to move ahead with projects – adding that 85 per cent of the land at Bahrain Bay had been sold.
Role
“Our role is to push the developers to develop, but we have to do it sensibly,” he said.
“Everybody bought at a peak of the market, some developed and others didn’t and it was understandable.
“So we’re being patient and we’ve confirmed at least three projects that will start within the next six months or so, with another two or three that are looking very good.”
He revealed among those confirmed was AXA Insurance’s regional headquarters, a Marriott hotel and a development by Bin Faqeeh.
“Then we have two other residential developments that look good to start and, if they do, it’ll be before the end of next year,” he added.
“The Wyndham Hotel is making very good progress as well.
“Bahrain Bay in five to 10 years will be incredible – it won’t just be the heart of
Bahrain.
“Let’s say things pick up and the second Saudi causeway is built, it’ll be a massive game changer for us.
“In that case we’ll be the gateway to Bahrain from Saudi.”
laala@gdn.com.bh
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