Bahrain plans 50 mega projects

Bahrain plans 50 mega projects

MORE than 50 mega projects worth millions of dinars are set to be rolled out this year and the next, giving the much-needed boost to the country’s development and infrastructure.

The projects in the housing, education, health, digitalisation and artificial intelligence sectors will also significantly improve the quality of services.

The schemes, mentioned in the draft 2023-2024 national budget presented to Parliament and the Shura Council by the Cabinet, would cost a total of BD1.123 billion – of which BD608.6 million will be allotted this year and BD514.1m the next.

The government will provide BD450m, divided equally in two years, while the rest of the funds – BD383.6m this year and BD289.1m next year – will be allotted from the GCC Development Programme.

According to documents presented to Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee yesterday, 38pc of the budget would be spent on infrastructure projects, 33pc on housing and community facilities, 11pc on youth, sport, culture and information, 4pc on education, health and social services, and the remaining 13pc has been set aside for miscellaneous sectors.

The projects include Bahrain Metro, Sports City, developing Salman Industrial City, revamping Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), completing the fourth bridge between Muharraq and Manama, developing all roads leading to