More than 17,000 Bahraini families have benefitted from housing financing programmes launched since 2022, with apartment sales surging by 105 per cent in just one year, Housing and Urban Planning Minister Amna Al Romaihi revealed to the GDN yesterday.
The figures underline a dramatic expansion of Bahrain’s housing model, as government support is increasingly being combined with private developers, commercial banks and new financing solutions to give families faster routes to home ownership.
In an exclusive interview on the opening of the second edition of the Innovation Summit in the Housing Sector 2026 yesterday, Ms Al Romaihi said more than 80 per cent of those who benefitted from the financing programmes had originally been on the traditional housing waiting lists.
She said the figures demonstrated how the kingdom was widening access to housing without abandoning its long-standing commitment to social housing.
The summit, organised by the ministry and the Eskan Bank as part of the fourth Gulf Housing Week, is being held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at Exhibition World Bahrain.
Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa attended the opening on behalf of HRH Prince Salman.
Ms Al Romaihi said the kingdom faced a very different housing challenge today, particularly because of its youthful demographics, with the median age of the population in Bahrain at approximately 33.4 years.
Around 60 per cent of Bahrain’s population is young, she noted, meaning demand for homes will continue as young Bahrainis establish families. “We have challenges today that we have to make sure we meet according to the aspirations of citizens,” she said.
Traditional housing programmes will continue, including the development of residential cities, but the minister stressed that government construction alone cannot respond to demand at the required speed.
“Private developers are now participating in government land development projects, constructing homes on their own land and working alongside commercial banks.”
Banks, she explained, can receive government support and provide the remaining financing required by citizens, while ensuring that repayments do not exceed a quarter of the borrower’s salary.
“This type of relationship with the private sector has greatly expanded the volume of services we can provide,” Ms Al Romaihi said.
“Previously, no matter how much we built, we could not meet the demand at the required speed.”
The minister said the changing housing model did not mean government support ends when a citizen receives the keys.
She pointed to the new Tamooh programme, under which citizens purchasing an apartment can secure a future government contribution of BD20,000 after 10 years, helping them move into a larger home as their families grow.
The BD20,000 support is government-subsidised and structured through fixed installments, she added.
Ms Al Romaihi revealed that apartment sales had more than doubled in one year, rising by 105 per cent.
“This result has been excellent,” she said.
Government land development projects have also provided an important test of whether the private sector can deliver large-scale housing at prices compatible with government financing.
All housing units in four projects were sold at record speed, she said, with almost three of the four projects already handed over to citizens, who are now living in their homes.
The biggest test yet came with the government land development project in Khalifa Town.
The ministry spent the past year assessing whether the market had the capacity to absorb a project of that scale and whether developers could deliver it under the government land development model.
The answer came through a highly competitive tender, with four companies competing for the project.
Naseej ultimately won the bid, and the ministry has signed the development agreement for a project expected to deliver 2,500 housing units.
Ms Al Romaihi said the experience would help shape the next generation of government-private sector housing partnerships.
“We will continue reviewing, developing and refining our programmes,” she said.
“We will always review our requirements, financing and everything the citizen needs to enable them to own suitable housing.”
Meanwhile, she added that housing rules for home expansions were being reviewed and adjusted to allow more space.
“We give consultancy on where expansions could be made whether on top of the garage or any other space of the home,” she explained.
“The ideas on space utilisation are dependent on the home model – but we seek more innovative plans as family members grow.”
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mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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