INVESTMENT bids for Bahrain’s biggest park in Muharraq will be invited next month, it has been announced.
Muharraq Municipality director-general Ibrahim Al Jowder said that the winning bid would be awarded a 25-year contract to invest in the Muharraq Grand Park (Al Kubra), near Bahrain International Airport.
He told the Muharraq Municipal Council that the bids would be invited by the Tender Board on behalf of the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry.
“We are not looking for just any regular investment project, but something that will be appealing, interesting and unique,” he said.
“We appeal to investors to propose some new concepts, ideas or themes. The intention is to raise the status of the park.”
The park, occupying an area of 90,692 square metres, was reopened in December last year after it was closed down 15 years ago as it had turned into a breeding ground for vermin and snakes.
The ‘Boulevard 202’ amusement facility was given a six-month contract, which has been renewed until the end of the year.
Plans to turn it into a “miniature Disneyland” were announced in 2007, but were scrapped after the Kuwaiti investor pulled out citing losses incurred during the global financial crisis.
In 2012, an investor planned to pump BD20 million to turn it into a theme park featuring the country’s first indoor ski slope, an ice rink, indoor sports arena, aquatic museum, karting track and three-storey shopping centre.
Three years later the council ordered the ministry to cancel the contract as no work was done.
Extensions
“The current investors behind Boulevard 202 could also bid for the 25-year contract,” said Mr Al Jowder, adding that they would be given six-month extensions until a winning bidder is chosen.
“Should Boulevard 202 win the contract, then they will have to come up with some innovative ideas to help develop the place into something much better.”
Boulevard 202’s contract was extended despite an accident last month in which a child was injured.
The girl sustained wounds to her legs while playing on a ride. A video of the injuries was circulated online, and her family filed a complaint with the Muharraq Governorate Police Directorate.
In March, there were claims of a similar accident at the amusement park but the allegations were declared untrue after the directorate carried out a thorough investigation involving medical records, surveillance checks and witness statements.
The park has been revamped at a cost of BD3.18m and features physical fitness equipment, a children’s play area, shaded family areas and a 1km walkway along which 22 physical fitness equipment.
The parking lot can accommodate 550 cars while 33 CCTV cameras have been placed across the garden.
It also features a ‘dancing’ fountain on an arc covering 350sqm besides various types of shrubs, palms and local fruit trees such as lemon, almond and cactus.
More than 150 jojoba trees have also been planted, along with more than 1,000 date palms and ornamental palms.
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