THE Manama Suq is set to undergo a revamp, aimed at injecting new life into businesses there, and attracting GCC and regional tourists.
Eight bids have been submitted to the Tender Board for the design and supervision of the new-look marketplace.
Seven bids ranging between 0 fils and BD277,080 have been accepted and one is suspended.
The plan by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) comes after a BD6 million facelift of the suq was first announced in 2016.
It included renovating the signage and store-fronts of 275 shops located on four main streets in the suq – Bab Al Bahrain Avenue, Shaikh Abdulla Avenue, Al Tijjar Avenue and Crown Prince Avenue – and expanding the Wi-Fi network.
This followed a study by British expert Hank Dittmar, of Urban Futures, who helped prepare new plans for the suq, blending modernity with tradition.
“Today’s world has seen vast changes in how traditional markets should look like, what is attractive and what appeals to locals and tourists,” said Capital Trustees Board chairman Saleh Tarradah.
“Even though the last study was done in 2017, we need a rethink on how modernisation and preservation of heritage can be blended,” he added.
“Modernity should meet tradition in the new architecture and landscaping that the seven engineering consultants would present.
“It is not necessarily that the cheapest bid would be selected, there are other terms and conditions like duration, quality, ability and compliance besides design flexibility for future development.”
Mr Tarradah highlighted the role of artificial intelligence and Virtual Reality in uplifting the market on par with international standards.
“The market should have a virtual view with details of each shop revealed whether through QR code, URL link or any other technological advancement,” he said.
“Shops should be numbered one, two, three and so on, so people would know where they are at and how much does it take them to reach a particular shopping destination within the suq.
“Such a feature would also be a great advantage for tourists, especially those arriving on cruise ships, as they have a limited time to tour the kingdom and may end up in the wrong direction.”
He also called for more innovations to transform the suq into a world-class attraction.
“The market revamp is long overdue, but being late is better than not showing up at all,” said Mr Tarradah, who is also a member of the Manama Suq Development Committee.
“Clearly, the suq is attractive with a wide range of goods and services, but giving it an edge to compete with other GCC markets, will carry it into the future as the best regional traditional market.”
The 2016 revamp plan included turning the old section of the market into a pedestrian zone, with transportation access for cycles, golf carts and environmental-friendly auto rickshaws, also known as tuk-tuk.
The GDN reported earlier that a proposal by Parliament financial and economic affairs committee chairman Ahmed Al Salloom, who is also a BCCI board member, to turn the suq into a vehicle-free zone has been taken into account by the government.
The proposal aims to tackle heavy congestion and pollution in the suq.
There are also plans for galleries and workshops for traditional handicrafts, live performances, additional car parks and a strip for cafés and shops.
A proposal to include solar panels to be used as shades across the main parts of the suq that could also generate electricity for air-conditioners and lighting has been presented by Mr Tarradah.
The proposals come as the Old Town Manama is vying for World Heritage Site status as it was named on a tentative list to be considered for Unesco nomination alongside two other sites – Hawar Islands and the Awali Oil Settlement.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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