The infrastructure and construction works are underway for the first phase of Durrat Marina - one of the leading marine-based real estate projects in Bahrain, said a report, citing the company officials.

The first phase, which was recently launched for sales, has already captured a great deal of interest. It includes an exclusive set of sea-facing villas, residential apartment blocks, luxury serviced apartments, a dedicated yacht club in close proximity to the marina, and a promenade with cafes and retail outlets.

Durrat Marina has awarded the contract for construction of the infrastructure and villas in Phase 1 to Tamcon Contracting, a civil engineering and construction firm.

The design stage has been complemented for road networks, electrical network, storm water, as well as water and drainage networks.

A full construction programme for the villas has already been approved, with land filling and excavation works well underway. It is expected that construction of the villas will be completed before mid-2014, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

"We are pleased to report tangible developments on site at Durrat Marina," said Durrat Marina chief executive Waleed Saffy.

"Though the real estate market has been challenging in recent years, we have found that there is demand for the right kind of products at the right price.

"Durrat Marina, located just north of Durrat Al Bahrain, has garnered interest from more and more people seeking either a weekend retreat or a marina-based residence."

He said as the market sees gradual improvement "we expect confidence to grow, especially in a project such as ours. Onsite development of Phase 1 will work to aid this confidence."-TradeArabia News Service