No new sheesha licences will be issued in Muharraq, Bahrain, including Amwaj Islands.

The Muharraq Municipal Council approved the decision yesterday (April 12), said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

It has also voted in favour of enforcing midnight closing on existing sheesha cafes.

“There have been previous recommendations banning sheesha in Amwaj back in 2002 and 2006,” said council chairman Mohammed Al Sinan.

“Now it's 2015 and we're insisting that no new sheesha licences are given out. It's against people's health and environment. It's also bad for people in the area, especially those who live close by.

“The people in the neighbourhoods have complained to us and they say the smell reaches their apartments - those with families especially, as they don't want their young children to be breathing second-hand smoke.”

He said that in addition to insisting on midnight closing, the council was also seeking action against sheesha cafes operating without a licence.

“We don't want to get rid of sheesha places that are already there,” he said.

“Currently, there are 34 sheesha places in Amwaj - of which only 18 are actually licensed.

“The others are illegal and we've spoken to the executive branch to ask them to take appropriate measures. We checked and discovered that the majority were illegal.

“Muharraq is a large governorate and we want to clean up our areas.”

He said the decision meant the Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry should now reject any new applications to open sheesha cafes in the governorate. - TradeArabia News Service