Hundreds of families living in one of Bahrain’s newest housing communities could soon get access to essential services after the Southern Municipal Council unanimously approved a proposal to establish a dedicated commercial block in Zayed Town.
The proposal, submitted by area councillor Abdulla Daraj, calls for authorities to identify and allocate a plot of land in Block 720 for the development of commercial shops aimed at serving residents of the area.
Approved during the council’s final meeting of the term, the proposal will now be forwarded to the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry and relevant authorities for further consideration.
Councillors said residents in the rapidly expanding housing development have been left with no nearby grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience shops or service outlets, forcing families to leave the neighbourhood every day to buy basic household items.
Mr Daraj said the situation had become increasingly unsustainable as population numbers continue to grow.
“It is unreasonable that residents in a modern housing project of this scale still have to leave their own neighbourhood just to purchase daily necessities,” he said.
“Families are repeatedly forced onto surrounding roads for simple errands because no commercial services currently exist inside the area. This creates unnecessary traffic congestion while causing inconvenience to residents who simply want access to essential goods close to home.”
He said similar housing developments across Bahrain were planned alongside integrated commercial blocks from the beginning, and Zayed Town residents deserved the same level of infrastructure.
The proposal was reviewed by the council’s services and public utilities committee, which strongly endorsed the move before it received unanimous approval.
Committee chairman Ali Al Shaikh said the lack of commercial activity inside the district was becoming a growing infrastructure concern.
“When new residential areas expand without accompanying commercial services, residents immediately begin facing daily logistical problems,” Mr Al Shaikh said.
“Our committee found that Block 720 currently lacks the retail and service facilities needed to support the growing population. Establishing a commercial block would dramatically improve convenience, reduce unnecessary vehicle movement and provide a more balanced urban planning model.”
&uuid=(email))