Bahrain plans 5,000 new homes a year

Bahrain’s housing plan will see 5,000 new homes handed over each year by the housing ministry to help address the large shortage problem, officials said.

The new ‘smart’ homes, built using a new construction technique, take two months to build instead of the usual 18 months, Gulf Daily News reports on Monday.

The cost per unit is also significantly reduced using the Chinese company Intechbuilding technique, the paper said.

The first homes will be begin construction in mid-June in the Northern Town area of Bahrain.

"There are 45,000 families waiting for houses and this number will reach 53,000 by the end of the year," Sami Juma Mandeel, projects construction and maintenance acting director for the housing ministry, said at a press conference on Sunday.

"Using this technology the ministry plans to launch 5,000 houses per year.

"The waiting period for houses is more than 17 years, but by the end of 2011 we should be able to clear the list up to 2003."

The houses will be built using galvanised lightweight steel frames and durable building materials, giving the construction a 99-year life span, Mandeel told the paper.

Building materials will be imported from China, but where possible, concrete, plumbing and electrical goods will be sourced locally, he said.