Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa chaired the 318th meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Development Projects and Infrastructure.
The committee expressed gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for inaugurating the opening of the fifth session of the sixth legislative term of the Shura Council and Parliament. It praised the Royal Address for expressing satisfaction with and appreciation for the government’s role at this stage, under the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The committee affirmed that the Royal Address sets out priorities for the executive and legislative branches to enhance cooperation and coordination in achieving the aspirations of the nation and its citizens.
The committee discussed the items on its agenda and reviewed progress on the Muharraq Development Project. Work continues on constructing and restoring housing units, developing infrastructure, main roads and internal pathways, and improving building facades, car parks, open spaces and green areas.
The committee noted significant progress in the project’s first phase, which includes the construction and restoration of 300 housing units across six neighbourhoods.
The visitor centre and model unit have also been completed and furnished, along with several packages of housing units designed in a traditional architectural style. These works help preserve Muharraq’s historical and cultural identity while meeting residents’ needs.
The committee also reviewed the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry’s efforts to regulate markets and protect public health, safety and property. These efforts include ongoing field campaigns to identify unlicensed informal markets and street vendors, and to address such cases in accordance with legal and administrative procedures.
The committee approved new design and regulatory standards for directional signs installed along main streets and roads to indicate entities and key locations. It tasked the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry with applying the standards to new applications, setting a deadline for existing signs to be renewed in line with the standards, and removing all unlicensed directional signs.
The committee gave preliminary approval to the following proposals:
1. The Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry may proceed with the necessary steps to amend certain provisions of Legislative Decree No 2 of 1996 concerning the occupation of public roads.
2. Establishing procedures to regularise minor building violations in investment buildings, provided they do not affect structural safety or pose a risk to lives or property.
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