New Housing Guide Clarifies Extensions, Building Heights, and Parking Regulations

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Mohammed Darwish

The Housing Ministry has released a guide to clarify Decision No. (899) of 2024, which lays out new rules for residential projects.

This guide breaks down regulations for residential buildings, home extensions, and plots, alongside some general provisions.

HE Amna Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, explained that the new rules are designed to help residents make the most of expansion opportunities and address ongoing building issues by legalising modifications under the Ministry’s oversight.

The guide indicates that the decision permits adding flats, commercial shops, and extra facilities to residential houses. These extensions, separate from the main unit, must not cover more than 15% of the land area and do not require engineering oversight.

Architectural guidelines ensure that new developments blend with their surroundings. Building over covered parking spaces is allowed up to two storeys, with an additional single storey above housing facilities. Lifts are permitted within housing units, with a maximum building height of three storeys or 13 metres.

Original parking garages cannot be removed or repurposed. Housing areas are divided into three zones: Zone A for plots over 300 square metres, Zone B for plots under 300 square metres, and Zone C for plots under 250 square metres.

Villas on smaller plots can expand, provided the total area does not exceed 240% of the land, and no single storey covers more than 80% of the land.

Additional facilities can be added to a villa’s roof, up to 30% of the roof area, and further extensions up to 15% of the land area can be added to the side of the villa. These additions must not exceed the height of the main storey.

Fences are limited to 2.5 metres in height, and new constructions must match the original façade. Parking spaces can be added to the side or rear of villas, as long as they comply with regulations and do not interfere with public areas.

Building over parking spaces is limited to two storeys, with additional storeys above housing facilities capped at 3.2 metres and 50 square metres per storey. External Majlis constructions are allowed up to 10% of the land area without affecting the overall building percentage.

All construction above existing structures must ensure no damage to a neighbour’s insulation layer, as required by building permits.