UAE-based private real estate investment and development company, Eagle Hills, in partnership with Bahrain developer Diyar Al Muharraq, awarded the contract for major piling works on Marassi Galleria, the lifestyle shopping and entertainment destination in Marassi Al Bahrain, the country's distinguished urban waterfront project.

The major contract has been awarded to German ground-engineering firm Keller Grundbau GmbH, which has a 40-year history in the kingdom.

The piling contract milestone marks the beginning of construction on the Marassi Al Bahrain site as planned, with the project on track for delivering a unique master-planned urban development, offering 875,000 sq m of waterfront residential, hospitality, retail and entertainment space, said a statement from Eagle Hills - Diyar.

Marassi Galleria will be a major shopping and entertainment destination in the kingdom, with 178,000 sq m of gross floor area featuring high-end retail, indoor and outdoor entertainment, a multiplex cinema, themed courtyards, food and beverages (F&B) outlets, one of the region’s most elaborate family entertainment centre, plus lush gardens and shaded walkways, it stated.

Marassi Galleria will have direct access to two world-class hotels and serviced residences (The Address Hotels + Resorts and Vida Hotels and Resorts), which are new to the market in Bahrain, said the Bahraini developer.

Vida Marassi Al Bahrain, a lifestyle boutique hotel and residence brand operated by Emaar Hospitality Group and geared towards today’s young professionals and entrepreneurs, offers 160 hotel rooms and 140 fully-furnished one, two and three bedroom residences with a modern aesthetic and a beachfront location, it added.

The Address Marassi Al Bahrain, a smart lifestyle brand with four properties across the UAE and three more under construction, will be a landmark hospitality location, offering 110 hotel rooms and 130 serviced apartments in the elegant yet modern style the brand has become renowned for.

Eagle Hills chief executive Low Ping said: "We and our development partners are mutually committed to delivering a superior quality of finishing throughout the entire project, providing a unique offering to the Bahraini market which aims to raise the bar in terms of high-end hospitality and lifestyle."

"We are pleased with the interest from both investors and end-users that has been received so far, in recognition of the major infrastructure development that we are contributing to boost the Kingdom’s economy. Eagle Hills is proud to be investing in the future of Bahrain, and giving everyone the opportunity to be part of our vision," noted Ping.

Dr Maher Al Shaer, the managing director of Eagle Hills - Diyar, said: "Bahrain has a diverse and evolving population, which demands global development standards with a local flavour, and the market also has a need for more choice of vibrant and quality retail and lifestyle space, a need which Marassi Galleria will cater to."

"Our announcement today moves us closer to this reality, in partnership with Keller Grundbau GmbH, who have an excellent track record with projects of this size both internationally and locally," he added.

Geert Janssen, the managing director - Middle East Business Unit, Keller Grundbau GmbH, said: "We at Keller are proud to be associated with Eagle Hills and this award of major piling works for Marassi Galleria within Marassi Al Bahrain."

"Keller has a long track record of major development projects in Bahrain since 1973, and therefore buyers can be confident of on-time completion within all development guidelines and quality standards," he stated.

"By engaging in a partnership with our customers from the earliest stage of a project, we work together to use the latest techniques in engineering innovation," he added.

Marassi Residences units were launched for sale in January, following the inauguration in the presence of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain.-TradeArabia News Service