Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Major new developments across Bahrain were placed on display to entice home-seekers and investors at the 10th edition of BIPEX, one of the major real estate exhibitions staged in the kingdom.
The three-day real estate exhibition held last week at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre in Manama was organised by The Bahrain Society of Engineers and featured major displays highlighting the $1.6 billion resort-style health island of Dilmunia, the event’s diamond sponsor.
Other displays featuring Diyar Al Muharraq, Era Projects Era Views and Era 58, Haven Real Estate’s Sama Villa and Iris Property’s Providence Residence also grabbed the attention of the thousands of visitors who checked out the island’s home-building boom.
Business development manager of a construction company, Mikel Calahorra, 34, travelled from his home in Amwaj Islands to attend the exhibition with his wife, Ziordza, 34, and their baby daughter Maddi.
He said: “BIPEX is great for networking and finding out what’s new and what’s planned. The impression you get from the exhibition is that the market remains bright in Bahrain.
“What with the various crises cropping up around the world and the global low price of oil, you could understand people perhaps feeling slightly anxious but walking around it’s clear that business and construction continues to boom here.”
To prove the point, Dilmunia, was clearly confident that its 60,000sqm mixed-use project, featuring lush gardens, cascading waterfalls, canal walkways and other scenic attractions off the northeast coast of Bahrain, will prove attractive.
It is being developed by Ithmaar Development Company and will also include health facilities, hotels and spas, shopping and entertainment along with studio apartments, waterside townhouses, condominiums, lofts and waterfront seaside villas.
Several completed developments were showcased along with projects that are still under construction such as Seavilla, which will consist of single-plot sea-front properties, and the Treasure at Dilmunia, which started to handover its first completed homes to residents in October.
The Treasure, a project by Bin Faqeeh Real Estate Investment Company, has a range of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, along with a health club, outdoor swimming pool, a conference hall and business centre. There will also be a garden-level coffee shop, as well as salons and spas.
Meanwhile, the Essence of Dilmunia is being developed by Ahmed AlQaed Group and it will include large one, two, and three bedroom luxury apartments integrating outdoor and indoor living through balconies, rooftop terraces and a wide range of amenities.
According to Ahmed AlQaed, the managing director, Essence is almost ready with 90 per cent of its properties snapped up already. He added: “We will be ready to handover the apartments to residents within about 70 days from now.
“It is a wonderful project with a lot of interest. However, another development that is gaining recognition is the Hanging Gardens of Dilmunia which we launched in the market around seven months ago.”
The Hanging Gardens of Dilmunia, designed by WKK architects, features terraced gardens around the podium structure of the building inspired by the Garden of Eden. The overall composition is kept simple and elegant, integrating indoor and outdoor areas with great views of a grand canal, landscaped gardens and the sea.
AlQaed Group wanted to reflect the civilisations of Dilmun and Babylon or Mesopotamia, when creating the project. Mr Ahmed said: “We are in the foundation stages of the development and we are expecting to be completed in the last quarter of 2019. It will feature 200 freehold two bedroom and three bedroom apartments.”
There will also be a family-oriented Double Tree by Hilton Serviced Apartments. The property will offer landscaped terraces, exclusive access to a swimming pool, BBQ area and a children’s playground. There will also be a souq and promenade overlooking the grand canal.
“We have received great response and feedback,” he added. “Visitors expect to see us at BIPEX to learn more about projects such as this and we have received a lot of bookings.”
Another project that captured a lot of attention was CanalView, also located in Dilmunia over an area of 13,068sqm. The development will boast many water fixtures including a water fall.
The multi-million dollar project was unveiled six months ago by Naseej BSC, one of Bahrain’s leading real estate developers. Ahmed Al Hammadi, general manager of Naseej, said ‘demand was high’ and that investors were looking at the location both as a potential permanent home and as a weekend getaway.
