Bahrain Bay

Bahrain Bay is a waterfront development on three reclaimed islands, connected to Manama to its south by two bridges to form an inner harbour.

Covering 450,000 square metres, it will consist of 40 buildings, divided into districts and neighbourhoods. Planning began in 2005 and the first phases were completed in 2012. The development will contain residential, commercial and retail space, designed around three anchor buildings: Arcapita Bank’s headquarters, a Four Seasons hotel and Raffles City Bahrain, a development of villas, apartments, serviced residences and shops.

The development is focused on sustainability, using local materials where possible, working to energy-efficient designs and using a centralised cooling system to reduce costs. A feasibility study is also being carried out to assess the potential for using wind power within Bahrain Bay.

Deputy chief executive officer Abdulla Al Doseri tells MEED the project is the main driver of Bahrain’s real estate recovery. “We are building a project that will become the new Manama, with a strong infrastructure that will enable people to live, work and be entertained at the same time,” he says.

Bahrain Financial Harbour

The curved, green-glass towers of Bahrain Financial Harbour stand like bookends on the island’s northern shore. These striking landmarks, Commercial East and Commercial West, are only part of an extensive $1.5bn development, much of it built on reclaimed land, and designed to be both a financial city and a self-contained residential community. It will comprise 30 individual development units offering office, residential, retail and leisure space.

World Trade Centre

The iconic twin towers of the Bahrain World Trade Centre are linked by skybridges sporting wind turbines, designed to provide more than 10 per cent of the building’s power requirements. Each tower is 34 storeys high, and is primarily dedicated to office space. It also contains a mall, a Sheraton hotel and a gym, among other facilities.