Golf course set to border Al Areen Wildlife Park

TDT | Manama

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A vast golf course and villa estate is set to rise on the edge of Bahrain’s Al Areen Wildlife Park after receiving the green light from environmental authorities.

The project, covering nearly 1.8 million square metres, will stretch across two adjoining plots: one for the golf course, the other for 241 villas.

Work is to be carried out in two phases, with the developers aiming to wrap up construction by September.

Site

According to municipal councillor Hamad Al Zoubi, the site lies in the southwest of the country, where part of the plans spill into the protected wildlife park — a home to rare creatures like the Arabian oryx and sand gazelle.

Drawings seen by the council suggest the developers intend to blend the project with its surroundings.

Wildlife corridors have been pencilled in, and the golf course itself will adopt a safari-like design, meant to echo the natural terrain and preserve native plants.

Scheme

The scheme also includes a sewage treatment plant, a power station, and other infrastructure to support the estate.

An environmental study has been carried out by a consultancy, Al Zoubi said, looking at how construction might affect the area.

A plan to manage the site throughout the build is now in the works.

The Supreme Council for the Environment has reviewed the development and approved the assessment.

Al Zoubi added that the Ninth Southern Constituency — which takes in parts of Zallaq and Al Riffa — is seeing a flurry of other projects.

Hotels are going up near Bilaj Al Jazayer. New housing is being built. Sports facilities, too, are on the rise — all part of a drive to pull more visitors into the kingdom.