The Oasis Spa Resort – the first phase of the planned $600 million Al Areen Desert Spa and Resort in Bahrain – will be completed by 2005, its promoters said recently.

The ambitious desert spa and resort, claimed to be a first-of-its-kind in the region, is being developed by Bahrain-headquartered Gulf Finance House (GFH), a leading investment bank.
At the heart of the development will be the $60 million Oasis Spa Resort, designed to reflect traditional Arabic architectural and design elements. The resort will cover 300,000 sq m and will be developed as a comprehensive facility offering the entire array of health, spa and therapeutic facilities from the Indian ayurveda to Roman baths.
The Oasis Spa Resort will be the first component of the project to be fully operational and is expected to be completed by 2005. The themed hotels will be completed the following year, while the rest of the development will be operational by 2007.
The resort will consist of two VIP towers that will house a range of specialised alternative medical therapeutic services, restaurants and 60 bedouin-style tents for guest accommodation,” he said.
The resort will also have a naturally landscaped lake with a marble bridge, conference facilities, library, and a kids play area. The bedouin tents of the resort will be set amidst lush gardens and walkways, guaranteeing privacy and seclusion while the rooms will be a blend of contemporary design with traditional architecture, with state-of-the-art amenities and therapeutic facilities.
An oval-shaped Oasis lobby will add to the charm of the development, encircling a garden outfitted with a high waterfall feeding a magnificent lake and a verdant forest. Other highlights of the lobby include teakwood terraces cooled by fresh air guns on both sides of the garden.
The aqua park, spread over an approximate area of 600,000 sq m, will offer tourist and leisure activities and will be ready by mid 2007. World-class themed hotels spanning an area of 300,000 sq m will provide sophisticated hospitality services to guests of Al Areen Desert Spa and Resort and will be completed by 2006.
Spread over an area of 500,000 sq m, the residential village component of the development will be a confined exclusive community consisting of about 350 exquisitely-built one and two-storey villas.
Pre-qualified contractors are expected to be asked to bid for the project soon and companies having experience in building such projects will be given preference.