Bahraini investor runs into trouble over $63.6m park
Government officials threaten to revoke approval after development plans get out of hand
The Municipal Council of Bahrain’s Muharraq has threatened to revoke its approval granted to a local investor for a multi-million dollar project to build a state-of-the-art public park in the Kingdom’s third largest city.
The civic body said it would cancel the contract by September 1, over fears the $63.66m development could be commercialised.
Located near Bahrain International Airport, the proposed 93,000 m2 park will include the Gulf country’s first full-size ice arena, an aquarium and aquamarine centre, a major karting track and spectacular amusement rides, a set of buildings to be constructed on 111,000m2, which will also include large green areas, restaurants, a fitness club and gym, an elderly centre and family resting areas.
“Any sane human being can understand that the garden will be turned into a shopping complex rather than be developed as a theme park,” council chairman, Abdulnasser Al Mahmeed, was quoted as saying by the Gulf Daily News.
“The investor has to change his plans and instead come up with something that follows the same pattern as Adhari park or else we will reject giving him a building permit, revoke his initial contract and have the project tendered again,” he warned.
