A new residential community of mid- to high-end homes was launched last month (January) at Diyar Al Muharraq, one of Bahrain’s biggest mixed-use residential urban developments that is taking shape off the northern coast of Muharraq.

Sarat offers residences on a choice of plots of varying sizes, including 51 Diamond plots of an average area of 1,000 sq m, 65 Platinum plots of 750 sq m and 57 Golden plots of 500 sq m.  Launched mid-January, almost 40 per cent of the residential plots were taken by investors within a week of going on the market, proving that investor confidence in the kingdom and in this development is at an all-time high, says the developer.

This is the second residential community to be initiated at Diyar Al Muharraq following the inauguration of Diyar Homes last May. The first stage of the masterplan of the development, Diyar Homes is considered to be the first planned community for affordable housing in the country. Offering an integrated environment with a range of lifestyle options in one location, the development programme of the first phase will encompass around 188 units, featuring villas that follow five different interior themes: El Daneh, El Bahar, El Nakhlah, El Sedrah and Al Looz.

Another project that made headlines in the country last May was the Dragon City, which was launched following an agreement between Diyar Al Muharraq and the China Middle East Investment and Trade Promotion Center (Chinamex), and its subsidiaries. The first Chinese city development in Bahrain, it is envisaged as a Chinese-themed retail shopping mall.

The Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Mosque was also launched in May, following an agreement between Middle East Contracting and Trade Centre and consultant Gulf House Engineering.

“In 2012 new benchmarks have been set, with several core projects having been launched that will prove to be greatly beneficial to the community,” said Maher Al Shaer, CEO of the developer Diyar Al Muharraq.

Further developments are planned for this year with the developer joining hands with a number of leading consultants to push ahead with plans for these new projects, which include the Diyar Town Centre, a commercial/retail town centre; the Seefiya Beachfront District, a mixed-use scheme; The International School, a private school offering international curricula; and the Floating City, a residential community where all homes will be built along canals.

Diyar Al Muharraq sits on a series of man-made islands, with more than 40 km of waterfront. Conceived as a social development project for every strata of society, it will offer schools, medical centres, parklands, sports facilities, and retail services, supported by a comprehensive network of infrastructural services. This is among the most extensive publicly accessible waterfronts in the kingdom.

Elaborating on the concept behind the project, Al Shaer said: “Our vision is to create a unique city for the future, offering housing and a quality lifestyle for all people of Bahrain to enjoy. Diyar Al Muharraq will provide a cohesive mix of residential and commercial properties with housing opportunities for over 100,000 people in around 30,000 dwellings. This is the first community-focused development of its kind in both its scale and range of properties.”

Diyar Al Muharraq has been involved in the project in every aspect, from concept to design to execution. “We have appointed contractors and specialists representing the best expertise and know-how from all over the world to handle different aspects of development. A close and symbiotic owner-developer relationship ensures smooth and timely operations,” Al Shaer said.

The project manager on the development is Hisham Abdulrahman Jaffer (HAJ), while the project engineers, designers and masterplanners are URS-Scott Wilson, Aecom and Gulf House Engineering.

The reclamation contract was awarded to Great Lakes Nass, a joint venture of Great Lakes, Dredge and Dock Company of the US and the Bahraini company Nass Group, which started work in 2006 and since then deadlines have been consistently met.

“The development was conceived from the very beginning as a holistic undertaking,” he said.  “Air quality, marine life, coastal preservation and the effects on lifestyle and livelihood of local people have been carefully monitored and studied on continuing programmes. A comprehensive environmental initiative have been undertaken to ensure that quality of life would not be compromised in any way.”

In addition to Sarat and Diyar Homes, other residential developments planned for Diyar Al Muharraq include Gamrah, which will offer larger plot sizes and Seefiyah, a mixed-use project.

The residential units spread over different islands will be interconnected through a network of public parks and open spaces linking them to central community facilities.

All properties will offer entertainment and shopping options. An integrated road network has been planned, which consists of a loop road around the whole development connected by three major roads running from east to west and a spine road down the middle.

The business district will offer units in a variety of sizes and styles supported by services of an international standard to attract multinationals. “State-of-the-art communications systems and business-friendly utilities, a convenient location in the vicinity of the Bahrain International Airport and key offices will make this truly a total, inclusive township on completion,” Shaer concluded.