Her Excellency Amna bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain is continuing to expand its partnership with the private sector as a key pillar in developing the social housing ecosystem, through integrated tracks that combine the provision of financing solutions with increasing real estate stock. This approach contributes to broadening the options available to citizens and accelerating the delivery of housing services.
Al Rumaihi said that the Royal Directive of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, to provide 50,000 housing units serves as the principal reference for housing plans and programmes and as a driver for continuing to develop solutions, accelerate implementation and expand partnerships in line with evolving housing needs, while transforming ideas and initiatives into tangible projects and solutions that benefit citizens.
Her remarks came during a presentation delivered as part of the opening ceremony of the second edition of the Social Housing Innovation Conference and Exhibition 2026, held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, as part of the fourth Gulf Housing Week. The event was attended by GCC ministers and officials responsible for housing affairs, as well as officials and representatives from the public and private sectors and banking and real estate institutions.
She explained that the Ministry has identified around 29 real estate partnership opportunities expected to deliver more than 17,000 housing units and plots over the coming years. She noted that the expansion of private-sector partnerships covers housing finance programmes as well as efforts to increase real estate stock in line with the financing available.
The Minister highlighted the continued expansion of the Government Land Development Rights Programme, noting that the Cabinet had directed the launch of a package comprising eight housing projects under the programme. Purchase procedures for four of these projects have been completed by beneficiaries of housing finance options. She also announced the offering of three projects in Salman City for advance reservation — Al Marsa, Hay Al Aseel and Hay Al Sahel — with registration open to citizens wishing to benefit from them during the exhibition accompanying the conference.
Al Rumaihi affirmed that Khalifa City represents a major milestone in the public-private partnership track following the award of the project’s development rights to Naseej. The project includes the development of more than 2,500 housing units to be sold at subsidised prices aligned with the value of housing finance programmes. The development covers 1.56 million square metres, including around 176,600 square metres of green and open spaces, in addition to infrastructure works.
She added that efforts to increase real estate stock also extend to the Private Land Development Rights Programme, which enables private property owners to develop housing projects on their land and sell them to beneficiaries of housing finance programmes. Around 18 masterplans have been identified and are expected to provide more than 5,000 housing units or plots at prices compatible with housing finance programmes.
On financing solutions, Al Rumaihi said that the “Tas’heel+” programme, which offers financing of up to BHD 91,000, recorded more than 1,800 expressions of interest within a short period, reflecting strong demand for the enhanced financing options.
She also highlighted the positive results achieved by the “Tomooh” programme, a supplementary scheme that provides citizens with an additional BHD 20,000 in financing after 10 years when purchasing an apartment through housing finance. She noted that the take-up of residential apartments increased by 105% following the programme’s launch compared with previous periods, supporting the Ministry’s approach to providing options suited to citizens’ different needs and stages of life.
In the area of digital transformation, the Minister said that the updated version of the “Beyti” platform has recorded more than 60,000 users, double the number registered last year. She announced the addition of several new features, including a real estate valuation service involving 33 valuers accredited by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority, direct integration with banks enabling procedures to be completed without visiting branches, and the ability to track the construction status of units in Government Land Development Rights Programme projects.
Regarding the development of Muharraq, the Minister reviewed the latest developments in the project, which is being implemented in accordance with the Royal Order of His Majesty the King and the directives of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister to preserve the historical and cultural identity of Bahrain’s buildings and cities and to revive and develop Muharraq. She noted that the project’s key outputs include 300 new and restored units, the development of five major streets, public and private parking facilities, open spaces, and a dedicated urban development guideline for the area.
She added that future phases will see the scope of development expanded in partnership with the private sector and property owners, following the offering of investment opportunities aligned with environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles. She noted that Eskan Bank was the first institution to join this partnership through the purchase of 10 heritage properties for operation and development in a manner that meets the needs of local residents.
Al Rumaihi concluded by affirming that the programmes, projects and partnership opportunities being introduced form part of an integrated approach aimed at strengthening the sustainability of the social housing sector, increasing the private sector’s contribution to housing solutions, and translating public-private partnerships into tangible projects that increase real estate supply and expand the options available to citizens.
In a related context, Abdulla Talib, General Manager of Eskan Bank, said that with the support of government entities, the bank has developed an integrated plan to invest in major development projects, particularly in the social housing sector. He noted that the bank is working to strengthen its financial capacity to provide the liquidity and capital required to implement the plan in partnership with the private sector.
Talib said the bank’s plan is based on two complementary tracks. The first focuses on stimulating demand by expanding access to subsidised real estate financing in partnership with the banking sector, providing affordable and immediate housing solutions while also creating investment opportunities for the real estate sector. The second focuses on supporting supply by providing the capital required to sustain the implementation of housing projects in partnership with institutions and individuals operating in the real estate sector.
The Eskan Bank General Manager revealed that the bank is preparing to offer investment opportunities for the implementation of nine housing projects that will provide more than 7,000 residential properties, including plots, housing units and apartments. These projects will be implemented in partnership with banks, developers, contractors and suppliers under a plan covering all governorates of the Kingdom. The projects comprise three in Muharraq Governorate, two in the Capital Governorate, three in the Northern Governorate and one in the Southern Governorate.
Talib also announced the opening of registration for citizens wishing to reserve units in the “Danat Askar” and “Danat Hamad Town” projects, following the signing of design contracts for the two projects last June. He invited financial institutions and real estate developers to explore opportunities to enter into partnerships with Eskan Bank, describing these projects as the beginning of a broader package that the bank plans to implement over the coming years.
In a related context, Amin Al Arrayed, Chief Executive Officer of Naseej, affirmed that the Khalifa City project represents a new milestone in the public-private partnership journey within the social housing sector. He said it builds on the experience that began with housing projects in Salman City and Al Louzy and helped establish a practical model capable of financing, developing and delivering major housing projects. He noted that Naseej has since continued to strengthen its expertise in integrated residential communities and sustainable housing solutions for citizens benefiting from housing finance programmes.
Al Arrayed said that Naseej appreciates the confidence placed in the company to implement the Khalifa City project, which aims to develop more than 2,500 housing units in accordance with the standards of the Government Land Development Rights Programme. Under the programme, the company will be responsible for designing, financing, constructing, marketing and selling the housing units, in addition to delivering the supporting infrastructure, in line with housing finance programmes and approved pricing standards.
He added that the project is being developed over a total area of 1.56 million square metres in a strategic location along Hawar Highway near the Kingdom’s southern coast. He noted that the company’s ambition extends beyond delivering housing units to creating an integrated residential city and sustainable community, providing high-quality and affordable homes while strengthening the private sector’s role in transforming government land into model residential communities.
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