Shortage of unused land in Manama - Jordan Environment Watch

Bonny Mascarenhas

Bahrain Tribune

Manama Municipalities Council Chairman voiced concern yesterday over the possible sale of a vacant plot in the Diplomatic Area.
During his last term as councillor he had made request to the Ministry of Works and Housing to purchase the land with the intention to build 1,460 housing units.
Speaking to the Tribune, Majeed Milad the Council Chairman, said: “I saw a fence being put around the vacant plot I had planned to build the housing units on. I have not spoken to the owner as it is the ministry that has to officially approach him.”
“I am to meet soon with the officials concerned at the ministry and check if action has been taken on my application,” Milad said. “I submitted the application for the purchase of this land in January 2006.”
The councillor said that plans had been made to build 14 multi-storey buildings on the site and would house 1,460 families. They were only waiting for the ministry to purchase the land from the owner.
“Manama is completely filled with buildings and offices and it is difficult to obtain vacant land for constructing new housing units,” the chairman said. “Other governorates have the choice of using empty plots on which to build houses.”
He added that he considered the possibility of requesting the Government to purchase other unused plots of land from their owners in Manama and construct new housing units.
Asked what the alternatives were if the owners refused to sell their lands, Milad said: “With the high real estate prices I think that many owners will not refuse to sell their lands. Also, as it is the Government which will be purchasing, the owners are guaranteed that they will not be cheated.”
“If owners of private lands refuse to sell their properties then we will have to resort to other alternatives,” the councillor said. “One option is to reclaim land and build housing units in areas like Karbabad. Another option we are looking into is to reserve 20 per cent of new units under construction in other governorates. These will then be allocated to the citizens of my governorate.”