A pioneering BD50 million ($132 million) waterfront housing project is set to open in Bahrain by the summer of 2015, it has been announced.

The luxury Dilmunia at Bahrain project, near Amwaj Islands, will feature the country's first residential units to use home automation.

Up to 100 houses will come with a centralised lighting, air-conditioning and appliances control system, to be developed by the Aliyah Marie Holding Company (AMHC).

Chairman Dr Ahmed Al Khuzaie revealed reclamation work at the 8,500-sqm site had been completed and construction of the Ithmaar Development Company project was expected to begin within 12 months.

'This is the first project of the Dilmunia development and the reclamation has now been finished,' he told the Gulf Daily News, our sister newspaper.

'We have set aside a budget of BD50 million and there will be 50 to 100 units, in which everything will be fully automated.

'The automation system will be provided by ABB, which is the same company that carried out the design of the Banyan Tree resort.

'It will also be the first green project to be developed in Bahrain.

'Everything else permitting, the work should start about one year from now and we expect the project to be completed in the summer of 2015.'

News of the project comes at a time when several major residential developments around the country are struggling to meet financial demand and handover deadlines, but Dr Al Khuzaie was not overly concerned.

'The industry is going down at the moment but there is nothing anyone can really do about that for now,' he said.

'We wouldn't have undertaken a project like this without carrying out studies of the market. What we found was that, while the market is currently going down, people are still looking for new homes.

'The problem is that everything is so over-priced. What we want to achieve is to enter the market with this high-quality product at a very reasonable price.'

Dr Al Khuzaie, who has a PhD in economics, was speaking in the wake of the appointment of URS/Scott Wilson as the main consultant to the so-called Sky Villa development.

AMHC has commissioned the engineering design and consultancy firm to provide high-level engineering and master-planning advice for concept level design at the project.

Architectural, planning and design specialists Broadway Malyan will work as URS/Scott Wilson's sub-consultants on the creation of the waterfront.

Signing the contract alongside Dr Al Khuzaie was URS/Scott Wilson technical director Mark Ainger.

'With a local presence and global capability both URS/Scott Wilson and Broadway Malyan bring together in-depth understanding of the site, context, culture and vision with a creative a flair based on the very best international practices and design,' said Dr Al Khuzaie.

'The approach is for a complete development that fully responds to end-user needs and delivers stunning waterside living and recreational opportunities.'

Mr Ainger expressed his delight at the deal, adding that URS/Scott Wilson believed it had the necessary skills and expertise to exceed expectations in achieving their vision for the project. -TradeArabia News Service