The map of Bahrain has been constantly changing for over a century, with smaller islands being subsumed into bigger ones and more and more artificial islands rising out of the sea.

In this thread, I will discuss some of the new projects that have been taken up by the kingdom.

Bahrain is a tiny nation, consisting of just 33 natural islands. So in the mid-2010s, the govt devised the National Detail Land Use Plan 2030 to make better the use of the limited available land the kingdom was gifted with and to extensively utilize of sea to expand and develop.

Amwaj Islands are an archipelago of 9 islands, construction began in 2002 at a cost of $1.5Bln. The Islands contain residential, commercial, 5-star hotels and retail buildings, as well as a diameter circular marina with over 140 berths. Home to over 10,000 people today.

Bahrain Financial Harbour is a waterfront commercial & residential development project located in Manama. Costing $1.5Bln, the project began in 2004, but faced numerous delays due to the Great Recession of 2008, resuming in 2016. It is expected to be completed in the early 2020s.

Bahrain Bay, a group of 7 islands located beside BFH, designed by the same firm that did the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is a waterfront development project that offers spacious, high-rise office and residential units along with major five-star hotels.

Not all development projects are commercial or residential in nature. Bahrain Investment Gateway is the largest light industry project available for freehold ownership in Bahrain. Costing $1.3Bln, it is set to create 10,000 jobs and support the efforts to diversify the economy.

Bahrain Marina is another waterfront development located next to the National Museum & Theatre, that boasts business, residential, entertainment, leisure, sporting and hospitality complexes. Land reclamation is complete and the project is due for the early-2020s.

The 3km long Bilaj Aljazayer project will see Bahrain’s long and pristine public beaches be upgraded with retail, residential and leisure facilities be added, turning it into a prime tourist destination.

Dilmunia is yet another island housing project that seeks to create a modern Garden of Eden (a throwback to ancient Bahrain, Dilmun, that served as the inspiration for the biblical garden). The project includes residential & commercial spaces and a massive mall with an aquarium.

Diyar al-Muharraq is Bahrain’s second largest development project. Designed to be a self-contained city with commercial and residential facilities, the 7 island archipelago includes social housing projects, luxury villas and hotels and Chinese & Thai themed shopping complexes.

Expected to house more than 60,000 residents & cost $6Bln, Durrat-al Bahrain is Bahrain’s most expensive building project. Covering an area of uptown 1SqKm, the islands will feature a marina, 6 atolls, 5 fish-shaped islands, an 18-hole golf course and a lagoon called Hassabi.

The East Hidd & East Sitra development projects are part of HM the King’s solution to Bahrain’s housing crisis, expected to house 28,000 & 31,000 people respectively. Both cities are expected to have educational & cultural institutions to cater to the needs of its inhabitants.

Not all projects rise out of the sea, thousands of homes are being built across the country, with new cities emerging out of the sand, such as Al Ramli & Khalifa Town, as part of the govt’s push to distribute people across the kingdom & avoid overcrowding the cities up north.

Manama Lagoon is yet another beautification project, that aims to develop a “Gateway to Bahrain”. The crescent-shaped island os said to host a soup, residential courtyard units and two hotels at the tips of the crescent.

Costing $700Mln, Marina West is a series of 11 towers, 10 of which are residential towers & the 11th being a 5-star hotel. Expected to be complete by 2010, it was stalled due to the 2008 Recession. Delayed for more than a decade, the project is expected to be completed by 2022.

The Nurana Islands are part of the larger Marsa Al Seef Project, consisting of residential villas and office spaces to meet the growing demand of the Bahraini population. Land reclamation is ongoing and only the first phase has been completed.

Reef Island is a $1.5Bln luxury housing project 2km north of Manama, comprising a 5-star hotel resort, waterfront apartments, yacht club, boutique retail, villas, a spa hotel, lagoon apartments, a thirty floors apartment tower, marine retail, theater/exhibition halls & a marina.

Sa’ada is a redevelopment project, consists of a promenade with retail outlets dotting the coast. The project is being built phase-wise, with the first phase, Sa’ada West already completed & ready to open. It’s part of a wider plan to revitalize the old city of Muharraq.

Sakhir Sports City is an ongoing project to develop the desert round the Bahrain International Circuit, famous for its F1 races. The project involves building a large multipurpose stadium and sports halls. A new international convention centre is planned next to this stadium.

Salman Town, the Kingdom’s largest housing project being built for 120,000 people. The group of islands will see the construction of schools & universities, health centers, shopping malls, another sports city and an aquatics centre.

Water Garden City is the most recent waterfront mixed-use development under development, which consists of high-rise office and residential complexes along with a lagoon and leisure spaces.

The next 25 years will be an exciting time for Bahrain and it’s construction industry!