The Bahrain National Plan is the first of its kind in the Persian Gulf, and will help the Kingdom of Bahrain move into the forefront of modern nations planning for an era of stable, sustainable growth.
The National Plan seeks to transform Bahrain into a prosperous and innovative city-state of the 21st Century. Government officials called on SOM to create a Master Plan that will serve the government and economy of Bahrain when the country’s petroleum resources become depleted. The plan addresses issues such as natural resources, inadequate housing, lack of zoning, weak transport infrastructure, insufficient public open space and the need for improved education and comprehensive employment. The National Plan of Bahrain lays out ten key strategies that coordinate and focus development, control land speculation, protect resources, preserve historic and ecologically important sites, integrate transport and ensure public access to open space and the waterfront. By confronting these issues today, Bahrain will be prepared to meet future challenges with confidence.
Bahrain Planning Principles
- Create one plan enabling an intelligent, sustainable national planning effort under a focused, centralized and predictable vision
- Achieve a market economy specialized in global and regional markets to increase trade, improve productivity, develop higher-profit jobs and create new commercial wealth
- Preserve and strengthen environmental resources
- Establish an interconnected, intermodal transportation strategy incorporating dedicated bus, rail and water-based transit
- Build distinct communities that reduce sprawl, efficiently utilize land and transit, help maintain Bahrain’s traditional way of life and preserve historic landmarks
- Define the public waterfront
- Protect the country’s cultural and archeological heritage
- Meet future military needs by ensuring protection of access to training and staging areas and integrated military land-use strategies
- Green the country
- Promote a sustainable future
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