Ten contractors are competing to revive the long‑awaited Flea ‘Friday’ Market in Howrat A’ali, five years after the popular venue was left without a permanent home.
Bids for the market’s construction were opened yesterday at the Tender Board.
The tender was issued by the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry for Block 714, located near the permanent Farmers’ Market.
The project aims to establish an organised, shaded outdoor marketplace to host temporary commercial activities. It will feature a pre‑engineered steel structure created under a ‘Design and Build’ framework, encompassing all structural, external and electrical works required for fully functional market operations.
According to tender details, the 10 bids ranged from BD93,000 to BD278,000.
For many street vendors, the opening of bids signals a long-awaited breakthrough after years of uncertainty following the market’s closure in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Northern Municipal Council financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman and area councillor Dr Mohsin Abdulla welcomed the development, describing it as a ‘serious step towards ending five years of instability for dozens of families who depend on this market for income’.
“This is not just a construction project,” he said. “It is a social and economic solution. The Friday Market has always been a safety valve for small traders, pensioners and low-income families looking to earn an honest living. Bringing it back in an organised and shaded facility will protect both vendors and visitors.”
Dr Abdulla added that the Howrat A’ali location offered better planning potential compared to previously suggested sites. “We finally have a location that allows proper design, access, parking and regulation. The community here understands the value of the market and we are working to ensure it integrates smoothly into the area,” he added.
The tender comes after intense debates inside the Northern Municipal Council over where the market should ultimately be based.
In December, constituency nine councillor Abdulla Al Qobaisi demanded authorities immediately find an alternative location to a proposed site in western Hamad Town, arguing that the land sat on a stormwater drainage path, was surrounded by homes and suffered from severe access issues.
His objection drew sharp criticism from fellow councillors who warned that rejecting proposed sites could delay the project by at least a year if the ministry is forced to restart the location selection process.
Dr Abdulla said opening of the tender yesterday showed the government was keen to move from debate to execution.
“For years, this file has been stuck between location disputes and administrative procedures,” he said. “What we are seeing now is practical movement. The ministry is saying clearly: the market must return in an organised manner that stops random street vendors across the governorate.”
Dr Abdulla stressed that the financial value of the bids indicated the project was ‘modest in cost but high in impact’.
“We are talking about an investment that is relatively small compared to the social return. This market will regulate informal trade, reduce neighbourhood complaints and provide a controlled environment with services, electricity and safety standards.”
He warned that continued disagreements over locations risk undermining the opportunity.
“Every time we reopen debate on the proposed site, we reset the clock. Vendors have already waited five years. The priority now should be delivering a functioning market as soon as possible.”
The Friday Market was originally intended to consolidate scattered unlicensed vendors operating in informal clusters across Bahrain, while reducing public complaints and improving oversight.
With bids now on the table, many hope the project will finally shift from political contention to construction on the ground and give Bahrain’s most famous flea market a permanent, organised home once again.
“I have taken the initiative and thankfully the response from Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak was quick to push the project into becoming a reality,” Dr Abdulla said.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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