New York: Amna bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, said that Bahrain’s urban development vision extends beyond building new cities to preserving the Kingdom’s architectural and cultural identity as a pillar of sustainable development.
She highlighted ongoing projects to redevelop Muharraq City and the historical Manama Souq area, in implementation of the royal directives to preserve the historical and cultural identity of Bahrain’s buildings and cities. She said these projects integrate infrastructure development, restoration of heritage buildings, enhancement of the urban landscape and improvement of quality of life while safeguarding the historical and cultural character of the cities.
The Minister led the Bahraini delegation to the United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda, held at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The meeting brought together ministers, senior officials and representatives of member states to assess progress in implementing the New Urban Agenda since its adoption in 2016, review national experiences and reinforce international commitment to accelerating its implementation over the coming decade in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and the completion of the New Urban Agenda’s objectives by 2036.
Addressing the meeting on behalf of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the minister said Bahrain views the New Urban Agenda as a practical framework for advancing national policies, enhancing quality of life and developing more sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Al Rumaihi said Bahrain has translated the principles of the New Urban Agenda into integrated national policies and programmes, guided by the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to place people at the centre of development and make quality of life a key objective of national plans and projects.
She added that the government’s directives, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to accelerate housing and urban development projects, particularly the national programme to deliver 50,000 housing units, have contributed to building integrated urban communities that provide housing, services and economic opportunities while supporting the objectives of the New Urban Agenda.
The minister said sustainable urban development begins with integrated urban planning, noting that Bahrain has completed the planning of 96 previously unplanned areas covering nearly 84 square kilometres, alongside the provision of the required infrastructure and the allocation of land for public facilities and services. She said these efforts have enhanced land-use efficiency, improved the urban environment and supported population and economic growth through sustainable planning.
Al Rumaihi affirmed that Bahrain places particular emphasis on incorporating the concept of “Cities of the Future” into the planning and development of housing cities, based on a development vision that places people at the heart of urban development and regards quality of life as a key measure of successful urban development.
She said this approach is reflected in Salman City, Khalifa City, East Hidd Housing City, East Sitra Housing City and Al Ramli District, which have been developed as integrated urban communities comprising housing units alongside schools, health centres, municipal services, cultural, sports and recreational facilities, as well as public and green spaces, to strengthen social cohesion, support family stability and enhance quality of life in line with international best practices in sustainable urban planning.
Minister Al Rumaihi also reviewed Bahrain’s efforts to strengthen the implementation of urban policies through expanded partnerships with the private sector, the development of housing finance programmes, national initiatives to develop government land, and the use of digital transformation and geospatial data to support urban planning and decision-making, improve project delivery, optimise resource utilisation and enhance urban sustainability.
She stressed that the next phase requires further development of integrated urban policies through greater innovation, the adoption of advanced technologies, expanded partnerships and more efficient urban planning to enable cities to respond effectively to future challenges while achieving balanced economic, social and environmental development.
Al Rumaihi reaffirmed Bahrain’s commitment to working closely with the international community, strengthening cooperation and the exchange of expertise and best practices, and supporting the efforts of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to accelerate implementation of the New Urban Agenda and achieve its objectives by building more sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities that enhance quality of life and promote sustainable development for present and future generations.
