Bahrain is moving towards a new model of social housing in which government remains the guarantor of fairness and support, while private developers, banks and other strategic partners take on a bigger role in delivering homes for citizens.
Housing and Urban Planning Minister Amna Al Romaihi said the government’s role in social housing would remain firmly in place, but would evolve as the population grows and citizens’ expectations change.
Speaking during a session on smart cities at the Innovation Summit in the Housing Sector 2026, she said Bahrain had been providing housing solutions since the 1960s and had continuously adapted its approach to meet chan ging needs.
“The role of government will remain supportive of the social housing sector,” she said.
“We need to adapt and put in place policies that meet the needs of citizens, particularly with the growing population and the increasing number of young people.”
The summit, held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is being organised by the Housing and Urban Planning Ministry and the Housing Bank as part of the fourth Gulf Housing Week.
The second edition of the conference and exhibition, at Exhibition World Bahrain, continues until October 3.
Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa attended the opening on behalf of HRH Prince Salman.
Ms Al Romaihi said the government’s responsibilities would continue to include setting policies, ensuring regulations were properly implemented, maintaining fairness and making sure support reached citizens who needed it.
“The government still has a continuing role with Bahraini families benefiting from housing services, particularly the groups most in need of direct housing support,” she said.
However, she said the partnership with the private sector had developed considerably.
Initially, housing projects relied heavily on government land and financing, with private companies mainly involved in development and construction.
“That relationship has changed and become larger and more comprehensive,” she said.
The model now involves government land being developed in partnership with private developers, while major banks provide financing and engineering companies design homes according to the needs of Bahraini families.
She cited Naseej’s development of 2,500 housing units in Khalifa Town as an example of the expanding partnership model.
Ms Al Romaihi said the government was also learning from earlier land-development projects, including the first project in Al Lawzi, and refining the way developers participate.
Developers, she explained, increasingly need to commit financing before marketing projects, while changes to tendering and auction procedures have also allowed smaller real estate companies to participate.
The ultimate objective, she said, was to increase supply, reduce waiting lists and ensure that housing prices remained compatible with the financing available to citizens.
“After 10 years, we want to see reduced waiting lists, improved quality of life and the ability to meet the aspirations and needs of citizens,” she said.
“For Bahrain’s housing sector, the message from the summit was equally clear: the government will continue to safeguard social housing, but the homes and communities of the future will increasingly be delivered through a wider ecosystem of developers, banks, engineers and other strategic private-sector partners.”
Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak said the same transformation was taking place beyond housing itself, with Bahrain placing people at the heart of urban planning.
“Human beings are the most valuable asset,” he said, stressing the importance of education, health and the human factor as Bahrain develops smart cities.
He said the concept of ‘humanising cities’ was being incorporated into urban planning, with consideration given to the needs of elderly people and people with disabilities, including accessible pathways, shaded areas and better public spaces.
Urban projects, he said, should ultimately be measured by residents’ satisfaction and the quality of life they create.
Mr Al Mubarak also highlighted the growing role of greenery as urban infrastructure.
Bahrain’s national greening and beautification plan, launched in 2022, targets the planting of 3.6 million trees. About 68 per cent of the target has already been achieved, he said, with progress made through co-operation between the public and private sectors.
In Muharraq alone, a project includes the planting of 100,000 trees and the creation of green spaces.
He said Bahrain now had more than 200 parks and walkways, with similar facilities being incorporated into new residential developments.
“Greenery has become part of the infrastructure of our plans,” Mr Al Mubarak said, highlighting its role in providing shade and improving the quality of life.
He added that the private sector was increasingly becoming a trusted partner in operating parks, investing in municipal areas and contributing engineering expertise to urban development.
Mr Al Mubarak said Bahrain was already moving in that direction through data-driven planning.
“The kingdom is developing smart-city systems using data to anticipate problems, while digitalisation has reduced some licensing procedures to as little as two days,” he said. “Building Information Modelling and automated approvals are also being introduced.”
He stressed, however, that the human element would remain at ‘the centre of the system.’
UN-Habitat regional programme division director Patrick Canagasingham said governments around the world had historically played an important role in housing, but their role did not have to be exclusive.
He highlighted land management as one of the best assets available to governments, particularly when it is used strategically to unlock private-sector investment and create sustainable communities.
The future, he suggested, lies in governments and strategic partners working together rather than operating in isolation.
Mr Canagasingham also pointed to the importance of anticipating urban challenges instead of waiting for them to emerge.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))