An ambitious project to create nine public beaches on the west coast of Bahrain that stalled in the wake of the 2011 unrest will still go ahead, said a report citing a top official.

The Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry planned to buy coastal land from private owners, but the outbreak of anti-government protests derailed the proposal, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

All nine of the locations chosen are privately owned, five of which are in Demistan, two in Karzakan and the others in Saddad and Hamala.

Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi helped lay the foundation stone for the project just days before the unrest started in February 2011.

However, the work never went ahead, as just days later Bahrain witnessed an outbreak of anti-government protests and street violence is still plaguing many of the areas where the projects were planned.

"When we laid the foundation stones for two locations three years ago, we aimed to force private landowners to sell their plots so we could begin work on the beach," said Dr Al Ka'abi.

"No deals have been reached with landowners and for that we decided to reclassify the area, which we are still working on - to stop development so we can acquire a plot of land to avoid further delays.

"The reclassification of the coastline will allow developments to go ahead in some areas, while keeping others open to the public.

"It is a complicated process that takes time as we have to ensure developments will not rob the public from enjoying sea views," he added.-TradeArabia News Service