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The $1.6 billion resort-style health island of Dilmunia shined at the Gulf Property Show with several of the residential projects that are being developed in the waterfront project showcasing large stands.
Situated off the northeast coast of Bahrain, the 60,000sq/m mixed-use project, developed by Ithmaar Development Company, is set to boast lush gardens, cascading waterfalls, canal walkways and other scenic attractions.
It will also include health facilities, hotels and spas, shopping and entertainment along with studio apartments, waterside townhouses, condominiums, lofts and waterfront sea villas.
According to Ithmaar’s vice chairman and CEO, Mohammed Khalil Alsayed, Dilmunia is progressing well and the company is currently constructing the second phase of the island which should be completed before the end of the year.
Mr Alsayed, pictured left, was also delighted to see how well other projects in Dilmunia are shaping up to be too. He said: “I can proudly say that a big part of the property exhibition was Dilmunia. As master developers we have our own stand but it’s a pleasure to see the other properties that will be located on our island featuring their own exhibits as well.
“There are currently seven projects under construction at various stages. The Treasure is coming to completion within weeks and the other project which is currently the biggest on the island called Essence of Dilmunia will be completed before the end of the year.”
The Treasure, a project by Bin Faqeeh Real Estate Investment Company, will have 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, Jacuzzi 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 designed integrating outdoor and indoor living through balconies, rooftop terraces and a wide range of amenities.
“We also completed the first group of villas in Dilmunia called Seavilla, which features 32 villas, and some residents have already moved in,” added Mr Alsayed. “We also announced the launch of the Mall of Dilmunia (as featured in last week’s GulfWeekly) before the Gulf Property Show to give it the attention it deserves and there has been an influx of interest in Dilmunia due to it.
“This mall will be a great addition to the island, especially as its emphasis is on serving the whole family.”
Another plan that captured the attention of visitors during last week’s three-day exhibition was The Address Residences Marassi Al Bahrain, which was launched by Eagle Hills Bahrain, the developers of Marassi Al Bahrain. The Address Hotels & Resorts are operated by Emaar Hospitality Group and the launch follows the completion of sales on VIDA Residences Marassi Al Bahrain.
Daniel Hammond, general manager of Eagle Hills Bahrain, said: “We are excited to be the first Address operating outside the UAE. In our hospitality group we have been working on VIDA and The Address for a number of years now. We will start construction in the third quarter of 2017 and our plan is to open the mall, the VIDA and The Address as phase one in the end of 2019, early 2020.”
Upon completion, The Address Residences Marassi Al Bahrain will offer 155 fully-furnished and serviced one, two, three and four-bedroomed apartments and penthouses with 199 parking spaces. All units will be freehold and available to all nationalities. The amenities will include fine-dining and cafes, a spa, a fitness centre, landscaped terraces, a pool, ballrooms and access to a private beach.
The Address Residences Marassi Al Bahrain will also be connected to the development’s 180,000sq/m shopping and entertainment destination, Marassi Galleria, and will feature private residential facilities with direct access to a private beach and to a world-class waterfront boardwalk promenade.
“The Address brand has been conceived and developed for the GCC market by Emaar,” said Mr Hammond.
“When we looked at which brands to base here it was perfect because it’s beachfront, it’s connected to a family lifestyle mall and it has hotel apartments to live a five-star hotel lifestyle, which is very attractive in the UAE and GCC.
“It’s also very popular for family ‘stay-cations’ as a lot of GCC residents have large families and travel in big groups. To stay in a hotel room is not always what they are looking for, so to stay in a two or three bedroom apartment and to stay three or five days, or a week, is also an increasing part of the local tourism market. The development is in Diyar Al Muharraq Island and it is phase one of Marassi’s master-plan.
“More than 70 per cent has sold on our first residential launch and The Address serviced apartments have received a lot of interest.”
Marassi Al Bahrain was one of the developments that piqued the interest of entrepreneur Sawsan Abdul Jawad who travelled from Saudi Arabia to visit the exhibition. She said: “I think this is an excellent property show with a lot of great developments. I am looking for a new home and place to start doing business in the kingdom and I feel that Bahrain has really grown and developed into a beautiful destination.”
Bin Faqeeh’s head of marketing Ahmed Khalfan is also thrilled to see how great the property market is thriving. He said: “The 2017 Gulf Property Show is exhibiting serious progress in the real estate sector and we are very pleased with the participation and excited to see the new developers as well as the attractive and interesting projects that have been announced during the show.
“Since day one there were a lot of guests from outside of Bahrain excited about the show and we are delighted by the number of visitors.
“We have already had a number of serious clients interested in the Al Sidra project, which is what we showcased. Al Sidra is a 450 villa gated community at Diyar Al Muhrraq and what we unveiled at the show was the affordable units which range from three to four bedrooms.
“The property market in Bahrain is definitely an attractive market at the moment. It is very stable and secure.
“We believe that the number of developments being unveiled during the show proves that this is a promising sector and whoever invests, whether it’s our regional or international prospects, the country is looking forward to providing more opportunities for investment in the real estate sector in Bahrain.”
The Gulf Property Show was part of an annual trio of exhibitions staged at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre, entitled the 3Gs, also taking in Gulf Construction Expo and Gulf Interiors Exhibition, alongside an evening festival.
Real estate projects worth more than $20 billion alongside new products and services for the building and construction sector and innovations in design and interiors were placed on display until last Thursday.
Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa inaugurated the three-in-one event in the presence of senior government officials and other big players of the construction, real estate and interiors industry.
Held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the event was organised by Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE).
