Twenty-one local and Saudi Arabia-based contractors have been prequalified for a contract to build the first phase of the Bahrain International Sports City project in the Sakhir area.

The prequalification stage closed on 13 September.

The notice was first issued on 24 May, with an initial submission deadline of 26 July.

The prequalified firms are:

1. Alfanar Projects (Saudi Arabia)
2. Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting (Saudi Arabia)
3. Nesma Infrastructure & Technology (Saudi Arabia)
4. Shar Construction (Saudi Arabia)
5. Saudi Binladin Group (Saudi Arabia)
6. Kooheji Contractors (local)
7. B1 Trading & Services (local) 
8. Nass Contracting (local)
9. RTCC / IC Ictas (Saudi Arabia / Turkiye)
10. Moffareh Alharbi & Partners (Saudi Arabia)
11. Al-Sharif Group Holding (Saudi Arabia)
12. Cebarco (local)
13. Midmac Contracting (Qatar)
14. BEC Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
15. Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia)
16. Poullaides Construction Poullaides Construction 
17. Isam Khairi Kabbani Partners (Saudi Arabia)
18. El-Seif Engineering Contracting Company (Saudi Arabia)
19. AlBawani (Saudi Arabia)
20. Nesma & Partners (Saudi Arabia)
21. Modern Building Leaders (Saudi Arabia)

The latest development follows US-based engineering firm Populous winning a BD5m ($13.5m) contract for the development, as MEED reported.

Populous’ scope covers pre-contract consultancy services, including finalising the masterplan and internal infrastructure, completing phase 1A design works and preparing tender documents.

The contract was first tendered in 2021, when Populous emerged as thesole bidder.

At the time, it was reported that the Sports City project would include Bahrain’s largest sports stadium and a multipurpose indoor sports arena.

The project is expected to provide renewed impetus to Bahrain’s construction and transport sector, which has struggled in recent years, with the total value of awarded contracts falling for a third consecutive year.

According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, about $400m-worth of contracts had been awarded in Bahrain by the end of October last year – less than half the $1.2bn recorded during the same period the previous year.

The sector has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Before 2020, Bahrain consistently awarded more than $2bn in contracts annually, peaking at nearly $4bn in 2016.

Bahrain’s construction industry is forecast to record average annual growth of 4.9% in 2026-29, supported by investments in transport infrastructure and renewable energy projects aligned with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.

Vision 2030 includes the BD11.3bn ($30bn) Strategic Projects Plan, unveiled in October 2021, encompassing 22 national infrastructure projects. It also includes plans to create five new cities by 2030: Fasht Al-Jarm, Suhaila Island, Fasht Al-Azem, Bahrain Bay and Hawar Islands.

Growth over the forecast period is also expected to be driven by investments under the National Renewable Energy Action Plan, which targets a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035, compared to 2015 levels, and aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.