The scheme will include the construction of hotels, chalets and recreational facilities on the island and a causeway to the mainland. The team is expected to take about 24 months to complete a masterplan for the island development and carry out an environment impact study. It will also work out specific details of proposed facilities on the island and their estimated cost.

Covering an area of about 530 square kilometres, the Bubiyan island development is planned to be carried out on a build-operate (BO) basis.

Bubiyan is one of the two Gulf islands northeast of Kuwait bay which the government is planning to develop into major tourist resorts. The other scheme involves Failaka island, covering a total area of 43 square kilometres. It calls for the construction of hotels, chalets, camping sites, recreational facilities and four new jetties.

The client is the Executive Authority for the Development of Kuwaiti Islands, Divided Zones & Major Projects, which was set up in July by the government to oversee the development of the two islands and Sulaibikhat beach, near Kuwait City, into tourist resorts (MEED 5:7:02).

The Bubiyan development is related to the estimated KD 285 million ($918 million) Kuwait causeway project, which will connect Kuwait City to Subiya, lying southwest of Bubiyan island. A four-strong Danish consultancy group headed by COWI is carrying out a feasibility and environment study for the proposed causeway (MEED 26:4:02).