With a new CEO at the helm, Diyar Al Muharraq is fast shaping up to be a vibrant sustainable township that enriches people’s lives and adds value on a social, economic and environmental level for residents, tourists, investors and stakeholders.

01 November 2019

These technologies aim to enhance the community feel and create an environment of harmonious living, says Engineer Ahmed Alammadi, the new CEO of Diyar Al Muharraq, in an exclusive interview with Gulf Construction magazine.

Technology has changed the way most businesses operate, he says, and real estate is no exception. “We are continuously keeping abreast of global trends and ventures that will add value to the residents, the community and Bahrain. We have already invested in providing social solutions within the residential communities of Diyar Al Muharraq with the aim of enriching the social life and interaction of its respective residents,” says Alammadi.

Alammadi, who was recently appointed as CEO, says he is committed to follow the vision set by Diyar Al Muharraq’s board of directors and the executive committee. He says his goal is to drive this development forward while continuously seeking to introduce new innovations in line with global trends that meet the needs of residents and investors alike.

The vision for Diyar Al Muharraq, he adds, is to create a long-term and sustainable township and play an integral role in the sustainability of Bahrain. “We aim to bring to life a vibrant project that enriches people’s lives and adds sustainable growth and value on a social, economic and environmental level – an ideal project for residents, tourists, investors and other stakeholders,” he remarks.

Alammadi says Diyar Al Muharraq has a culturally grounded masterplan, which offers a cohesive mix of residential and commercial projects for individuals and for investment purposes. It aims to create a sustainable future, while also significantly contributing to the socio-economic development of the kingdom in line with Economic Vision 2030.

He says the masterplan was designed to cater to the residential, commercial and recreational needs of residents and visitors alike. “Diyar Al Muharraq is a fully integrated city featuring well-equipped facilities, schools, universities, medical centres, shopping malls, hotels, marinas, mosques, fuel stations and more. It is the perfect blend of the kingdom’s rich past and ambitious future, catering to Bahrain’s modern lifestyle. It will be home to enduring and thriving communities,” Alammadi adds.

Thus, with the aim of creating a long-term and sustainable township, the developer has implemented several initiatives including:

• Artificial reefs: With the support of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Diyar Al Muharraq successfully launched ‘Dive Bahrain’, the largest underwater theme park to improve marine life;

• Utilised local rocks to reduce Diyar Al Muharraq’s carbon footprint;

• Treated sewage effluent networks for irrigation, eliminating the need for water tankers and the use of natural resources;

• Gravity networks to reduce electro-mechanical maintenance burdens on public resources;

• Interlock paving, instead of tarmac, which is expected to last much longer and ease repair.

Furthermore, Alammadi says, Diyar Al Muharraq was among the first to deploy state-of-the-art technologies. “For example, we introduced LED lighting before it was a standard practice in Bahrain, encouraging the use of LED streetlighting throughout the kingdom thereafter. The infrastructure installed at Diyar Al Muharraq is also designed to the highest standards,” he adds.

Mentioning other technologies that have been implemented within Diyar Al Muharraq, he says smart meters are available in all villas to save energy by installing solar panels that feed the grid and give the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) the capability to remotely read each villa’s consumption. All villas also have home automation provisions, while IoT is an added value for those who wish to include them in the luxury projects such as Al Naseem and Al Bareh.

Diyar Al Muharraq also has a central reservoir which aims to serve a number of strategic sub-reservoirs through remote fibre-optic communications, thus eliminating the need for tankers to irrigate the landscaping. Also, additional outfalls have been introduced throughout the project, thereby transferring stormwater rainfall directly into the sea without the use of any mechanical equipment.

Modern technological construction methods have been used where mechanical systems could not be avoided, he points out.

Work at the site continues to move ahead with the project having recently announced the completion of secondary infrastructure works on several projects, including Deerat Al Oyoun, Sarat, Al Baraha Souq, Al Qamra and Al Bareh. The infrastructure work on Phase Two of Al Bareh is aimed to be completed in 2020.

Amongst the major milestones for this year is the launch of Hadiqat Al Diyar towards the end of the year, which is the largest park in the masterplan. The park covers an area of 32,800 sq m at the main entrance next to Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Grand Mosque. Alammadi says it will be one of the project’s main attractions, offering multi-amenities for families and individuals of all ages.

Other milestones include the completion of the superstructure works for Vida Marassi Al Bahrain and handover of Marassi Shores Residences.

Diyar Al Muharraq has also managed to attract a number of partners and investors including Eagle Hills, Bin Faqeeh, Koohiji and Era Projects.

Alammadi says a city of the scale of Diyar Al Muharraq is as successful as its partnerships. “And so we are continuously enhancing existing partnerships and focusing our efforts on forging new ones.”

Eagle Hills Diyar is a major partnership that has successfully attracted two world-class hotels: The Address Residences Marassi Al Bahrain and Vida Marassi Al Bahrain.

Similarly, Era Projects, he says, has acquired a parcel of land to develop a luxury residential community; Bin Faqeeh has developed AlSidra, a first-of-its-kind luxury gated community; Chinamex operates Dragon City Mall, a first-of-its-kind and one of the largest wholesale and retail trade centres in the kingdom; and Vega Thai Mart will bring Thai Mart, the region’s first Thai-inspired shopping destination.

“We are continuously seeking partnerships and investments that will support the Diyar Al Muharraq’s vision,” remarks Alammadi.

Most of Diyar Al Muharraq’s masterplan is expected to be completed by 2030 in line with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.

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