Work on the new multimillion dinar National Assembly complex at Al Fateh Corniche in Bahrain will begin in July next year, a report said.

Reclamation work on an artificial 100,000 sq m (10 hectare) island is already ongoing at the site with construction work to begin immediately, according to the report published in our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.

The state-of-the-art complex will include new-concept facilities and departments, including grand halls and meeting chambers for different committees and offices for MPs and Shura Council members in addition to their support staff.

Directives were issued last month by HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa to the Works Ministry for work to start on the complex after years of delay, the report said.

A model of the complex designed by a Bahraini architect firm was yesterday showcased for Shura Council and parliament members at the current complex in Gudaibiya.

"The leadership believes in democracy and we are doing whatever possible to ensure that it gets the push it needs to progress," said Shura Council chairman Ali Saleh Al Saleh.

"The current complex, designed 20 years ago for Shura Council use, can't withstand numbers especially with parliament coming in to take space in 2002. Members currently don't have offices and employees are forced into portable cabins or crowded in limited space."

He said the move will give the legislative authority the status it deserves as a representative of the public. "The new complex would not just be spacious, but equipped with latest technological advancements to meet future needs," he added.

Works Ministry special projects head Tony Robinson also spoke of the complex's new features. – TradeArabia News Service