A non-profit community partnership agreement with industry giants Foulath Holding for a five-year term to develop the Muharraq Alkubra (Grand) Garden was signed yesterday.
Under the agreement, the company will bear all operating expenses including regular maintenance, security and some development works that will help raise the level of services provided to residents and visitors.
Muharraq Municipal Council services and public utilities committee chairman Abdulqader Al Sayed said the deal was signed as a result of ‘extensive efforts’ and will set a ‘model for public-private co-operation’.
“This agreement crowns months of work to secure a reliable, sustainable solution for the park,” he added. “It will guarantee the sustainability of the park’s services and improve its environment for the benefit of all residents and visitors.
“The agreement is expected to reinvigorate Muharraq’s largest green space and marks a promising new chapter for a park with deep community significance.”
Under the agreement, Foulath Holding will assume full financial responsibility for the park’s running costs. With assets of $2.4 billion, the company has positioned itself as a central figure in the sector, producing millions of tonnes of essential iron ore pellets and structural steel annually.
Foulath Holding is owned by Gulf Investment Corporation, Qatar Steel, Gulf Cables & Electrical Industries, National Industries Group Holding and Kuwait Foundry. As part of its commitment to corporate social responsibility, the company continues to support local projects that contribute to achieving a greener, more sustainable Bahrain, it states.
It has been praised for its intervention at a ‘critical moment’ for the park, which has faced operational uncertainty since 2022.
The garden, once envisioned as Bahrain’s premier family attraction, has undergone a turbulent journey in recent years. As reported last year, the park partially reopened despite an ongoing legal dispute over a dinosaur-themed exhibit, famously referred to as a ‘prehistoric war’ in court.
A private investor’s contract to operate the park was terminated in August 2022 over alleged contractual violations. Although the investor continued operating the site until the end of that year, the facility was eventually shut down due to the unresolved legal conflict with the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry.
The park had previously undergone a BD3.18 million renovation, reopening in December 2021 after a 15-year closure. The overhaul introduced children’s play areas, shaded family zones, a 1km walking track, 22 outdoor fitness machines, more than 1,000 palms and ornamental trees, 150 jojoba trees, and a 350sqm arc-shaped ‘dancing fountain’.
Parking facilities for 550 cars and 33 CCTV cameras were also installed to enhance safety.
With the new partnership in place, residents and municipal officials hope to restore the park’s ‘full vibrancy and ensure long-term operational stability’.
Present at the launch conference were Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak and Muharraq Municipal Council chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar.
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