Bahrain will be harnessing British technical and engineering know-how to promote major social housing projects, with the first three providing 4,000 new homes, a report said.

Housing Minister Bassem Al Hamer signed a co-operation agreement with Prince Charles Foundation chief executive Hank Dittmar in the presence of senior officials, according to the report in the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

The minister also met the British heir apparent and conveyed greetings from the leadership and the government.

He also delivered to Prince Charles a letter from His Majesty King Hamad on bilateral relations.

Under the agreement, the ministry will benefit from the expertise of the foundation in promoting social housing projects for Bahrainis.

The deal follows directives from the King on bolstering co-operation with the Prince's Foundation for Building Community.

The London-based enterprise will supply the ministry with technical and engineering consultancy and help brush up the skills of Bahraini human resources. The foundation will co-ordinate with government departments in Bahrain to design and execute three housing blocs in the Southern Governorate.

The scheme will feature 4,000 units along with infrastructure components and comprehensive services. It will then be expanded to include the other governorates across Bahrain.

A technical team including 12 Bahraini engineers will take part along with foundation experts in designing the project blueprints. – TradeArabia News Service