• Eskan Bank to Launch 9 Projects Providing More Than 7,000 Residential Properties Across the Kingdom’s Governorates
• Registration Opens for Advance Reservations in 3 Projects in Salman City Under the Off-Plan Sales Program
• Registration Opens for Housing Unit Reservations in the “Danat Askar” and “Danat Hamad Town” Projects
• “Tasheel+” Records More Than 1,800 Expressions of Interest, While the “Bayti” Platform Exceeds 60,000 Users

Her Excellency Ms. Amna bint Ahmed Al Romaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain continues to expand its partnerships with the private sector as a fundamental pillar in developing the social housing ecosystem. This is being achieved through integrated approaches that combine the provision of financing solutions with increasing the housing stock, contributing to expanding the options available to citizens and accelerating the delivery of housing services.

Minister Al Romaihi stated that the Royal Directive of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, may God protect and preserve him, to provide 50,000 housing units serves as the primary foundation for housing plans and programs. It also provides the impetus to continue developing solutions, accelerating implementation, and expanding partnerships to address evolving housing needs and transform ideas and initiatives into tangible projects and solutions that benefit citizens.

Her remarks came during a presentation delivered at the opening ceremony of the second edition of the Social Housing Innovation Conference and Exhibition 2026, held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him. The event is taking place as part of the Fourth GCC Housing Week, in the presence of GCC ministers and officials responsible for housing affairs, along with representatives from government and private sector entities and banking and real estate institutions.

She explained that the Ministry has identified approximately 29 real estate partnership opportunities, expected to deliver more than 17,000 housing units and plots over the coming years. She noted that expanding private sector partnerships encompasses housing financing programs as well as increasing the housing stock to align with these financing options.

The Minister highlighted the continued expansion of the Government Land Development Rights Program, under which the Cabinet directed the launch of a package comprising eight housing projects. Purchase procedures have been completed for four of these projects by beneficiaries of housing financing programs. She also announced the opening of advance reservations for three projects in Salman City: Al Marsa, Hay Al Aseel, and Hay Al Sahel, with registration available to interested citizens during the accompanying exhibition.

Minister Al Romaihi emphasized that the Khalifa City project represents a major milestone in public-private partnerships, following the award of its development rights to Naseej. The project involves developing more than 2,500 housing units to be sold at subsidized prices aligned with the value of housing financing programs. The development covers an area of 1.56 million square meters, including approximately 176,600 square meters of green and open spaces, in addition to infrastructure works.

She added that efforts to increase the housing stock also extend to the Private Land Development Rights Program, which enables private property owners to develop housing projects on their land and sell them to beneficiaries of housing financing programs. Approximately 18 development plans have been identified, with the potential to provide more than 5,000 housing units or plots at prices compatible with the available financing programs.

Regarding financing solutions, Minister Al Romaihi explained that the “Tasheel+” program, which offers financing of up to BHD 91,000, has recorded more than 1,800 expressions of interest within a short period, reflecting demand for the enhanced financing options.

She also highlighted the positive results achieved by the “Tumouh” program, a supplementary financing initiative that provides citizens with an additional BHD 20,000 in financing after 10 years when purchasing an apartment through housing financing. She noted that the uptake of residential apartments increased by 105% following the program’s launch compared to previous periods, supporting the Ministry’s approach to providing housing options that accommodate citizens’ different needs and stages of life.

On digital transformation, the Minister stated that the updated version of the “Bayti” platform has recorded more than 60,000 users, doubling the number compared to the previous year. She announced the introduction of several new features, including a property valuation service involving 33 valuers accredited by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), direct integration with banks to enable users to complete procedures without visiting branches, and the ability to track the construction status of housing units within Government Land Development Rights Program projects.

Regarding the development of Muharraq, the Minister reviewed the latest developments in the project, which is being implemented in accordance with the Royal Order of His Majesty the King, may God protect and preserve him, and the directives of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, to preserve the historical and cultural identity of Bahrain’s buildings and cities and revitalize and develop the city of Muharraq.

She explained that the project’s key deliverables include 300 new and restored housing units, the development of five major streets, public and private parking facilities, open squares, and a dedicated urban development guideline for the area.

She added that the upcoming phases will involve expanding the scope of development in partnership with the private sector and property owners, following the introduction of investment opportunities based on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. She noted that Eskan Bank was the first institution to join this partnership by purchasing 10 heritage properties, with the aim of operating and developing them in ways that meet the needs of local residents.

Minister Al Romaihi concluded by emphasizing that the programs, projects, and partnership opportunities being introduced form part of an integrated approach aimed at enhancing the sustainability of the social housing sector, increasing private sector participation in providing housing solutions, and transforming public-private partnerships into tangible projects that increase the housing supply and expand the options available to citizens.

In a related context, Mr. Abdullah Taleb, General Manager of Eskan Bank, affirmed that the bank, with the support of government entities, has developed a comprehensive plan to invest in major development projects, particularly in the social housing sector. He noted that the bank is working to strengthen its financial capacity to secure the liquidity and capital required to implement this plan in partnership with the private sector.

Taleb explained that the bank’s strategy is based on two complementary approaches. The first focuses on stimulating demand by expanding access to subsidized real estate financing in partnership with the banking sector, providing affordable and readily available housing solutions while creating investment opportunities for the real estate sector. The second focuses on supporting supply by providing the capital required to sustain the implementation of housing projects in partnership with institutions and individuals operating in the real estate sector.

The General Manager of Eskan Bank revealed that the bank is preparing to introduce investment opportunities for the development of nine housing projects, providing more than 7,000 residential properties, including plots, housing units, and apartments. These projects will be implemented in partnership with banks, developers, contractors, and suppliers as part of a plan covering all governorates of the Kingdom.

He explained that the projects will be distributed across the governorates, with three projects in Muharraq Governorate, two in the Capital Governorate, three in the Northern Governorate, and one in the Southern Governorate.

During the presentation, Taleb announced the opening of registration for citizens interested in reserving housing units in the “Danat Askar” and “Danat Hamad Town” projects, following the signing of the design contracts for both projects in June. He invited financial institutions and real estate developers to explore partnership opportunities with Eskan Bank, noting that these projects represent the beginning of a broader portfolio of developments the bank intends to implement over the coming years.

In a related context, Mr. Amin Al Arrayed, Chief Executive Officer of Naseej, emphasized that the Khalifa City project represents a new milestone in the development of public-private partnerships in the social housing sector. He noted that it builds on the experience gained from implementing housing projects in Salman City and Al Lawzi, which helped establish a practical model capable of financing, developing, and delivering major housing projects.

He added that Naseej has continued to expand its projects and expertise in developing integrated residential communities and sustainable solutions for citizens benefiting from housing financing programs.

Al Arrayed stated that Naseej values the trust placed in the company to implement the Khalifa City project, which aims to develop more than 2,500 housing units in accordance with the standards of the Government Land Development Rights Program.

He explained that, under the program, the company will be responsible for designing, financing, constructing, marketing, and selling the housing units, in addition to implementing the supporting infrastructure, in line with housing financing programs and approved pricing standards.

He added that the project spans a total area of 1.56 million square meters in a strategic location along Hawar Highway, near the Kingdom’s southern coastline. He emphasized that the company’s ambition extends beyond constructing housing units to developing an integrated residential city and a sustainable community, providing high-quality, affordable homes and strengthening the private sector’s role in transforming government land into model residential communities.