Bahrain’s Ministry of Housing (MoH) is expected to award the infrastructure and construction contract for the Al Ramli housing project in June 2016, according to a ministry official.
“The prequalification process can take up to six months and tender evaluation could take another six months but we are pushing for a June 2016 award,” said the official source. MoH invited prequalification bids for infrastructure and main construction on 26 August 2016 with a submission deadline of 30 September 2015, according to a Bahrain Tender Board notice. The prequalification process is for around 1,200 houses funded by Saudi Arabia under the Gulf Development Fund.
In June 2015, 1,247 houses at the Al Ramli project costing $150 million were funded by the latest tranche of grants totaling $670 million released by Saudi Arabia under the Gulf Development Fund in that month. The grant will also finance three other infrastructure projects. Spread over 100 hectares, the city will supply 3,720 housing units with key amenities including schools. A Bahrain News Agency report in October 2014 said the project would begin in 2015 but hinted that hurdles in land-levelling work could cause delay.
The Al Ramli housing project is among five major cities being implemented by the ministry, namely the Northern City, Al Hidd City, East Sitra City and the Southern City to address the shortage of affordable houses. Bahrain plans to deliver 40,000 houses in the next five years to clear the long waiting list.
