Muharraq demands action on stalled investment panel

TDT | Manama

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Missed investments and delayed projects have prompted the Muharraq Municipal Council to renew calls for reviving its Investment Panel, arguing that inaction is squandering opportunities to transform public properties into productive assets.

During its latest meeting, council members voiced frustration over the lack of progress in setting up the panel, previously proposed as a key step toward better managing and enhancing the value of municipal properties.

“The current bidding terms scare off investors,” said council member Ahmed Al Moqahwi. “We need to be in the loop to ensure projects succeed. Let’s tackle this together to create the right conditions for investment that benefits the whole community.”

The push to establish the panel began in late September, when the council recommended that it be chaired by the Director General of Muharraq Municipality. A formal letter urged municipal officials to finalise the panel’s structure, convene its first meetings, and advance plans to overhaul municipal property management.

Despite reassurances from officials that the issue is being addressed, councillors claim there is no tangible progress. Director General Khalid Al Qallaf has since promised increased collaboration with the council, but members remain sceptical.

Al Moqahwi stressed the need for better coordination in shaping projects to avoid repeating past mistakes. “We’ve looked at previous bids and projects to identify what went wrong,” he said. “We hope to review bidding documents before they’re sent out so we can address issues that deterred investors in the past. We need to build something solid this time around.”