Bahrain’s only stone quarry in Hafeera will reopen for business, eight years after it was closed.

The Southern Municipal Council proposal was yesterday approved by the Cabinet, which directed the Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry to manage, run and operate the site, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

However, a specialised extraction company will be appointed to ensure resources are distributed fairly among contractors, especially those working on major government projects.

Cabinet secretary general Dr Yasser Alnasser said the Cabinet approved formation of a public-private partnership to import stone, which would be offloaded at a special port, and the Industry and Commerce Ministry would oversee the process.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet's ministerial committee for urbanisation and infrastructure has been ordered to monitor progress and the decision followed a presentation by Deputy Premier Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.

The Cabinet closed the quarry after repeated complaints from residents in 2007, who claimed stone extraction near their homes was unlicensed and therefore illegal.

“There are different proposals, we selected the best ones that would resurrect the industry that is vital for urbanisation in the country,” Information Affairs Minister and official government spokesman Isa Al Hammadi told a Press conference after yesterday's session.

The Cabinet also approved a contract with a Bahraini firm to relocate fuel tanks near Arad homes to Bahrain International Airport by mid-2018.

In addition, it discussed a new company that will be tasked with providing aviation fuel to the airport. - TradeArabia News Service