Real Estate and Construction

With instability in the real estate sector largely stabilised after a slump in the property market, the government and private firms are focusing on the issue of affordable housing for nationals, with a plan to provide housing to 54,000 Bahrainis waiting for a subsidised government home. In the construction sector, plans are also in place to improve transport infrastructure, with roads and bridges set to receive the greatest share of funding. There has also been a renewed commitment to ensuring greener building regulations, and while the current emphasis in Bahrain is on affordable housing, this could open up new opportunities for green initiatives that also reduce costs for the construction sector. This chapter contains interviews with Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, Minister of Works; Mohammed Khalil Alsayed, CEO, Ithmaar Development Company; and Christopher Sims, CEO, Naseej.