Bahrain's Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) has signed a contract with international consultancy firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) to develop the Bahrain National Strategic Structure Plan 2050.
The National Strategic Plan 2050 will guide every aspect of Bahrain’s sustainable urban planning and development over the next 25 years.
The plan builds on SOM’s Bahrain 2030 National Planning Development Strategy, submitted in 2007 following an 18-month process of research, analysis, consultation, and design exploring how sustainable land development can support the Kingdom’s stable, predictable, and long-term economic growth, stated the global consultancy.
The project marks an important step in updating the National Strategic Structure Plan 2030, drawing on specialised planning expertise and practices to develop an integrated urban vision that addresses diverse development requirements, enhances spatial planning efficiency and promotes the optimal use of land, it added.
The contract was signed on the sidelines of the Social Housing Innovation Conference and Exhibition 2026 by UPDA Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Abdulaziz Al Khayyat and SOM representative Thomas Behr in the presence of Douglas Voigt, representing the consultancy firm.
Al Khayyat said the agreement forms part of efforts to prepare the National Strategic Structure Plan 2050, supporting Bahrain’s urban planning and development framework and addressing the kingdom’s current and future development and urban needs.
He affirmed that the authority continues to develop Bahrain’s planning framework based on integrated and sustainable principles, improving the urban environment, supporting development across the kingdom and keeping pace with changing and future needs.
SOM said it was proud of partnering with the Authority on the project and its commitment to applying its specialised expertise in urban planning and development to help achieve the project’s objectives.
The signing highlights the importance of integrating urban planning with modern approaches to city and community development, it stated.
