Bahrain plans new watersports resort

A major watersports facility is planned for Bahrain’s Salman Town development.

The new maritime centre will offer a variety of watersports – plus scuba diving, fishing and sailing, as well as an aquarium, marina and restaurants.

The project will be overseen by the Northern Municipal Council, which has been allocated land in the development by the Housing Ministry.

Council chairman Ahmed Al Kooheji said: “Details on how we want to push ahead with the project have been left to us. We are in direct contact with investors globally and we hope the new maritime centre project will be the biggest facility of its type in the region, if not the world.”

The council hopes the new watersports centre will become a major tourist destination in Bahrain and are keen to include scuba diving schools to welcome visitors of all abilities.

“At the moment the sea is not being put to proper use in Bahrain,” Al Kooheji added.

The centre will form a key part of the man-made island off Bahrain’s north coast, which welcomed its first residents last year and will eventually house 90,000 people.

The council hopes to finalise its plans for the watersports centre in the next few months, after which it will put the project out to tender.