Construction work on IKEA Bahrain store is on track for completion in the second quarter of 2018, a senior official has said.

Since its groundbreaking ceremony in October last year, Bahrain-based Kooheji Contractors who have over 40 years of experience in construction, civil engineering, and design services in the Mena region have taken charge of the project.

Fruto Hernandez, IKEA Saudi Arabia expansion manager, said: “The main works contract has been awarded to Kooheji Contractors whose construction experience expands across a variety of industries. The enabling and foundation works of IKEA Bahrain are complete and the main work has started.

“Right now we are continuing with the slab works, water proofing, underground piping and precast order which are in progress. Our aim is for the store to be completed by the second quarter of 2018,” he added.

Construction will culminate in the second quarter of 2018 and the store located in Salmabad will be open to the public later the same year, he said.

Initially, at the ground-breaking ceremony, it was announced that the main contractor for the project will be G P Zachariades, but the contractor was changed later. The project has an investment value of BD47 million ($124.76 million).

IKEA Bahrain, which is being opened in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Al Sulaiman Group, IKEA Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, will be the biggest in the region and house the biggest restaurant in the kingdom with 800 seats over an area of 2,500 sq m.

It will house a 6,200 sq m showroom, a 6,000 sq m market hall for accessories, 5,000 sq m of self-serve area, and 4,000 sq m of full-serve area.
 
The bistro and Swedish food market, which facilitates grab-and-go snacks and take-home meals respectively, will take up about 500 sq m of the total area.

The store’s 220-sq-m play facility, called Smaland (named after the small town in Sweden where IKEA started), will ensure that customers have an enjoyable shopping experience as children are taken care of by IKEA staff, free of charge. It will also have over 1,100 parking spaces spread over two levels.

Ikea is the world’s largest retailer for furniture and is known the world over for its ready-to-assemble furniture and other home appliances. It has 385 stores spread over 48 countries. Upon completion, over 1.2 million people are expected to visit IKEA Bahrain every year. – TradeArabia News Service