New homes will soon be on the way for 50,000 Bahraini families, following the laying of the foundation stone for a new town.

The 1,500 hectare town will be in the Abu Subh area, from Bahrain Fort to Budaiya, and will also cover a series of offshore islands.

It will be able to accommodate more than 150,000 people in 30,000 homes to be built in a natural area surrounded by the sea.

The town will include a premises for the Northern Governorate, another one for the Northern Municipality, a shopping mall, a market, a public garden, mosques and public transportation.

Basic plans for the project are expected to be completed in the next few months.

The project is the first of four new townships to be built at a cost of BD2 billion ($5.3 billion) and will provide homes for 250,000 people. The other towns have been earmarked for: