A SPECIAL marketplace dedicated to Indian goods is being studied for the Southern Governorate.
The proposal to build an Indian market, in the same vein as the Dragon City in Diyar Al Muharraq, was unanimously approved by the Southern Municipal Council.
The council has submitted the plans to authorities for study and feedback as it wants to build the mega project on empty plots of land in the south of the country, as part of bigger plans to develop the area.
Southern Municipal Council chairman Bader Al Tamimi, who is spearheading the project, said the market would be a success due to the large number of Indian expatriates in Bahrain and demand for Indian products among locals.
“We have such a large number Indian expatriates in Bahrain and we hope to have an Indian Market that sells goods made in India,” he said during the council’s weekly meeting.
“We also have many large Indian investors, so the Indian Market, I think, will benefit Bahrain in many ways.
“Such a market will not only be for the Indian community in Bahrain because we, as Bahrainis, have become attached to Indian goods as well and we have inherited this strong bond with the Indian culture and community over generations.”
In the proposal, Mr Tamimi details the prospects of the project including creation of job opportunities for Bahrainis and expatriates alike.
The proposal has been submitted to Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf for review.
A committee was also formed to study the project and find appropriate land in the Southern Governorate with details about the size and scale of the market to be worked out based on that.
The GDN previously reported that the Southern Municipal Council has been seeking ways to attract investors to the south, with councillors claiming last year that the government failed to attract new developments to the Southern Governorate where the main attraction is Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir which opened 15 years ago.
Councillors want authorities to come up with a 10-year plan to breathe life into the region which they claimed has only a handful of attractions.
The projects they want fast-tracked include the new BD79 million exhibition centre and the BD165m sports city, as well as expansions to BIC and Bahrain University.
Councillors in the southern part of the country are also seeking more information on proposed projects such as the Bollywood City, allowing trekkers and campers inside Bahrain’s wildlife sanctuary Al Areen Wildlife Park, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Performance Centre and Bahrain International Village.
Earlier this month an agreement was signed to start construction work on the new international exhibition and convention centre in Sakhir.
It is expected to be completed in two years and is aimed at giving a major boost to the country as a top MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) destination.
MP and former council chairman Ahmed Al Ansari also previously suggested setting up a new authority to handle future investment proposals, projects and developments.
He claimed that there were 200 empty government plots in the Southern Governorate but bureaucratic procedures were putting hurdles on attracting international franchises.
ghazi@gdn.com.bh
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