Bahrain’s government is set to launch over 50 mega projects worth millions of dinars in the housing, education, health, digitalization, and artificial intelligence sectors, as part of the draft 2023-2024 national budget.
The projects are expected to significantly improve the quality of services and boost the country’s development and infrastructure.
The projects will cost a total of BD1.123 billion, with BD608.6 million allotted for this year and BD514.1 million for next year. The government will provide BD450 million, divided equally over two years, while the rest of the funds—BD383.6 million this year and BD289.1 million next year—will be allotted from the GCC Development Programme.
The budget’s financial allocation for infrastructure projects would be 38%, housing and community facilities 33%, youth, sport, culture, and information 11%, education, health, and social services 4%, and the remaining 13% would be set aside for miscellaneous sectors.
Some of the major projects include the Bahrain Metro, Sports City, Salman Industrial City, Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) revamp, completing the fourth bridge between Muharraq and Manama, developing all roads leading to the airport, constructing the new National Assembly, and giving the media sector a facelift.
The budget aims to reduce the deficit drastically from BD2.3 billion in 2021-22 to BD569.7 million in 2023-24. The total revenue is estimated to reach BD6.57 billion, divided into BD3.1 billion in 2023 and BD3.47 billion in 2024.
To prioritize projects, the Shura Council Financial and Economic Affairs Committee Chairman Khalid Al Maskati urged the government to create a list, numbering projects from highest to lowest in importance. Al Maskati also wanted the government to identify the impact each project would have on the country’s progress and development.
The Bahrain Metro project is expected to cost BD11.7 million this year and next, and BD91.3 million until completion in 2029. The SMC revamp is expected to cost BD3 million and BD4 million in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and BD2 million in 2025. The new Sports City is due to be completed by the end of 2025, with the project costing BD100.8 million this year and the next and BD84.8 million beyond 2024. The new National Assembly is set to cost BD20 million. A total of BD2 million has already been spent, BD3 million will be allotted over the two budget years, and BD15 million beyond.
The fourth bridge between Muharraq and Manama has already cost the government BD40 million, while it will cost BD65.8 million over two years and BD55.2 million beyond 2024. Developing all roads leading to the airport will cost BD13.2 million over the two budget years and BD5.8 million in the future, and Salman Industrial City will cost BD7.6 million over the two budget years and BD3.1 million beyond.
To give the media sector a facelift, the government will spend BD8 million, divided equally over two years, on new broadcast and production equipment and refurbishing existing facilities. Digitalizing government services will cost BD4.
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