WHAT IS YOUR CORE VISION FOR BAHRAIN MARINA, AND HOW DO YOU SEE THIS LANDMARK DEVELOPMENT RESHAPING THE KINGDOM’S WATERFRONT LIFESTYLE AND TOURISM LANDSCAPE?
From the beginning, we wanted Bahrain Marina to be much more than a real estate development. We wanted to create a place that becomes part of everyday life in Manama, somewhere people can live, meet, dine, shop, relax and, importantly, enjoy the waterfront. What makes Bahrain Marina special is the way all these experiences come together. You have Bahrain Marina Residence, Marina Walk, the marina and Marina Club, along with dining, retail, entertainment and leisure, but the idea has always been for people to experience them as one destination. Bahrain has always had a very close relationship with the sea, so there is something very natural about creating a destination like this here. What is particularly exciting now is that this vision is no longer something we are simply talking about. We are reaching the stage where you can walk through the project and actually see the destination taking shape.
HOW DOES BAHRAIN MARINA CONTRIBUTE TO BAHRAIN’S BROADER ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION AND TOURISM AMBITIONS UNDER ECONOMIC VISION 2030?
If you look at the direction Bahrain has taken under Economic Vision 2030, there has been a very clear focus on broadening the economy and creating opportunities in sectors such as tourism, real estate, hospitality, retail and leisure. Bahrain Marina brings many of those sectors together in one destination. Its contribution also extends beyond the buildings we are developing. A destination like Bahrain Marina creates opportunities for businesses, operators and investors, supports employment and gives residents and visitors more reasons to spend their time here. We are already seeing that take shape through the operators and concepts coming into the project. For me, that is where the long-term value lies: we are creating a waterfront destination that can generate wider economic activity and new opportunities over time.
BAHRAIN MARINA BRINGS TOGETHER RESIDENTIAL, RETAIL, DINING, LEISURE AND MARINE EXPERIENCES. WHAT KIND OF LIFESTYLE ARE YOU AIMING TO CREATE WITHIN THE DESTINATION?
The simple answer is choice. We want people to be able to experience Bahrain Marina in different ways. Someone might come for dinner by the water, another person might come to shop or spend an afternoon with the family, while a resident can simply walk out of their apartment and have all of that around them. Bahrain Marina Residence will have 274 freehold apartments, while Marina Walk will bring together indoor and outdoor retail, dining and entertainment along the waterfront. We have also secured a leading local entertainment operator for more than 2,300 square meters at Marina Walk, with a focus on family entertainment, retail, toy stores and family dining experiences. Then you have the marina and Marina Club, which give the destination its connection to the sea. The idea is that all of this feels like one place. You might come for a few hours, stay for the day or actually call Bahrain Marina home.
THE MARINA CLUB WILL BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BAHRAIN MARINA EXPERIENCE. WHAT CAN MEMBERS AND THE REGION’S GROWING YACHTING COMMUNITY EXPECT FROM IT?
Marina Club is one of the components I am personally most excited about because, in many ways, it captures what Bahrain Marina is all about. The marina is naturally at the heart of it, with 167 berths and a water depth of five meters allowing us to accommodate a broad range of yachts and vessels. From the beginning, however, our vision for Marina Club has extended well beyond berthing facilities. Alongside the marina, members will have access to leisure, wellness and social facilities, including the beach, swimming pools, a gym, lounges and spaces to unwind. Dining will also be an important part of the Club experience, with a selection of international concepts giving members and guests more reasons to spend time there. Ultimately, we want to create a community around the marina. You might arrive by yacht, and when you step ashore there should be an entire lifestyle waiting for you. The facilities are important, but it is the experience around them that will really define the Club.
WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENTS COME WITH UNIQUE ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS. HOW ARE SMART TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES BEING INTEGRATED INTO BAHRAIN MARINA?
With any waterfront development, you have to think differently. You are dealing with the marine environment, so material durability, energy and water efficiency and long-term maintenance all become very important. These are things we considered from the design stage rather than treating sustainability as something to be added later. For us, sustainability and technology complement one another. Technology exists to enhance every environmental element and make it more economical. Practically, we use specialized materials that protect the marine environment, and we have integrated solar panels, motion-sensor lighting, high-performance thermal insulation with low U-value glass, EV charging stations and a centralized waste management system. What matters is whether technology helps us operate more efficiently, use resources more responsibly and give people a better experience. That is where it has real value for us.
COULD YOU DESCRIBE BAHRAIN MARINA IN NUMBERS AND GIVE US THE LATEST UPDATE ON CONSTRUCTION?
Bahrain Marina represents an investment of approximately BHD 200 million and covers around 256,000 square meters in a prime waterfront location in Manama. Bahrain Marina Residence comprises 274 freehold apartments, while the marina will provide 167 berths with a water depth of five meters. The development also brings together Marina Walk, Marina Club, retail, dining, entertainment and leisure facilities. In terms of construction, we are now at a very advanced stage. Phase One is approximately 92% complete, while Bahrain Marina Residence has reached around 84%. You no longer have to rely on plans or renderings to understand what Bahrain Marina will be. You can walk through the project and see the destination taking shape around you. We are moving toward phased operations during the fourth quarter of 2026, so our attention is naturally beginning to shift from construction toward operational readiness.
FROM A REAL ESTATE AND INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVE, WHAT MAKES BAHRAIN MARINA ATTRACTIVE TO REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS?
Location is obviously a major part of the proposition. We are on the eastern waterfront of Manama, close to the capital’s commercial and lifestyle areas, with convenient access to Bahrain International Airport and the King Fahd Causeway. The wider experience surrounding the property strengthens that proposition further. At Bahrain Marina Residence, residents will have the marina and Marina Club, Marina Walk, restaurants, retail, family entertainment, leisure facilities and the waterfront around them. The 274 residences are also freehold, which is important for international buyers. When you combine a strong waterfront location with a quality residential product and a complete lifestyle destination around it, I believe you create a very compelling proposition, both for someone looking for a home and for an investor considering the destination’s long-term value.
LOOKING AHEAD, WHERE DO YOU SEE BAHRAIN MARINA POSITIONED AMONG THE GCC’S LEADING WATERFRONT DESTINATIONS?
There are some outstanding waterfront destinations across the GCC, but we have never approached Bahrain Marina by asking, “How do we replicate what someone else has done?” Bahrain has its own personality, scale, relationship with the sea and distinctive lifestyle. We want Bahrain Marina to reflect that while delivering the quality and experience people expect from a leading international waterfront destination. Ultimately, buildings and facilities only take you so far. What really defines a destination is how people use it once it comes to life. Do residents feel at home there? Do yacht owners want to return? Do families choose to spend their weekends there? When someone visits Bahrain, is Bahrain Marina one of the places they want to experience? If the answer is yes, then I believe we will have created something genuinely special for Bahrain.
