East Hidd Housing project ... units built by Nass Contracting.

The Crown Prince of Bahrain, HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, last month laid the foundation stone for a housing project in Sitra that will provide 5,000 units and various services and facilities.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and organised by the Ministry of Housing.

The Crown Prince said the East Sitra housing project represents a key milestone in the kingdom’s commitment to increasing housing availability and meeting His Majesty’s directives to build 40,000 homes.

Housing Minister Bassem Al Hamer said the project represents a key step in the ministry’s commitment to delivering 25,000 units in four years. It is among the five housing projects planned across Bahrain, which also include East Hidd, Northern Town, Southern and Al Ramli housing developments.

Construction work is under way on 3,895 houses in housing projects in Northern Town and East Hidd.

“Bahrain’s new housing projects, which include the Northern Town, East Hidd, East Sitra, Southern Housing Project and Al Ramli Housing Project, are the base for 25,000 listed in the government’s plan for the next four years,” said Al Hamar.

“The number of units under construction has reached 3,895 with a completion rate of between 10 to 90 per cent.”

Al Hamar explained that of 3,408 houses being built in the Northern Town, 530 have already been completed pending infrastructure services. In addition, 316 units are 30 per cent complete and 577 units are 10 per cent complete, he added.

The Ministry of Housing has also tied up with the private sector for the construction of housing units in Northern Town. Al Hamar indicated that a total of 1,985 units are being built in partnership with Naseej – of which 1,618 homes have been allocated for social housing and 367 units for economic housing, with priority given to the names in the ministry’s waiting list.