The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning received a delegation from the Saudi Development Fund, which is visiting Bahrain for the purpose of following-up development projects implemented by the Ministry in the health, education and sanitary sectors and funded by the Saudi Development Fund as part of the Gulf Development Programme.
The Saudi delegation, headed by the Operations Chief Engineer of the Fund Abdulla Mohammed Al Shoabi, was received by the Works Affairs Undersecretary Eng. Ahmed Al Khayyat.
Official meetings between the Ministry and the Fund took place on the 25th & 27th of September, in the presence of the concerned people from the Health and Finance Ministries, the Assistant Undersecretary of the Sanitary Engineering, the concerned directors from the Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning sectors and project directors. The meeting highlighted progress achieved in the health, education and sanitary projects.
Al Khayyat stated that the Ministry is implementing 2 projects belonging to the Ministry of Health and being funded by the Saudi Development Fund, the first of which is the $37 Million Long Stay Care Center in Muharraq; presently in the design stage. Tender bids are expected to be invited in the upcoming months and implementation is to commence before the end of next year. The Long Stay Care Center is part of a medical complex planned for construction in Muharraq upon directives from HRH the Prime Minister.
The second project is the $21 Million Dialysis Center in Riffa. Work on the project commenced in June and is expected to complete in June 2018.
According to Al Khayyat, the Saudi Development Fund is also funding 6 schools located in different Governorates in Bahrain. The Works Ministry is implementing those schools with a total cost of $85 Million. Also, the Ministry has already initiated the necessary action and procedures to hand over 4 completed schools; namely Busaiteen Intermediate School for Girls, Hunainiya Secondary School for Boys, Hamad Town Intermediate School for Boys and phase 1 of Isa Town Elementary/Intermediate School for Boys. Works is underway to complete Malkiya Intermediate School for Girls and Jaw School for Girls.
As for sanitary projects, Al Khayyat stated that the Saudi Development Fund is also financing Phase 4 of Tubli Sewage Treatment Plant Project, in partnership with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. Tender documents have been completed and technical and financial offers of 10 companies have been invited. The Ministry has received 5 offers and is evaluating the technical bids prior to selecting the qualified contractor.
A complimentary project, besides the expansion of Tubli STP, is to take place as well; comprising of the construction of a number of buildings (Labs Building, Workshop Building, Management Building and Sanitary Affairs Management Building). The bids of 22 pre-qualified contracting companies have been invited.
