UK-based Waitrose, a high-end supermarket chain owned by British retailer John Lewis in partnership with Fine Fare Food Market, will open its first outlet in Bahrain at the  Villamar @ the Harbour project next year.

The $800 million Villamar @ the Harbour, a flagship project of Gulf Holding Company (GHC), is fast emerging as the foremost waterfront residential development not just in Bahrain but in the entire region, said an official.

Commenting on the initial agreement, Walid Saarti, chief operating officer - Gulf Management & Services the sales and leasing company of GHC projects said the supermarket chain has signed an initial agreement to occupy 837 sq m.

'We are delighted that an organisation with such an impressive lineage will commence its Bahrain operations from our precincts,' he noted.

Founded in 1904, Waitrose has over 198 branches across the United Kingdom and specialises in offering high quality food products and valuable customer service.

The company plans to expand its operations in the Middle East by opening around 20 supermarkets across the UAE and Gulf by 2010.

'With construction progressing rapidly and on schedule, we look forward to the supermarket’s opening. We are confident our project facilities and infrastructure will complement Waitrose’s operations, appealing to upper-medium and high-end shoppers by providing them a unique urban district shopping experience,” Saarti noted.

The 10,000 sq m trapezoid-shaped open-air shopping centre surrounded by water is being developed on the lines of Rocky Ridge Town Centre in California.

The centre comprises three zones which includes the shopping centre, retail shops, supermarket, pharmacy, coffee shops and restaurants surrounded by a transparent glass arcade that can be opened or closed, depending on the island weather.

Visitors will have the option of arriving by water taxis at the two docks at Villamar or by the pedestrian bridge linking the Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH) towers to the project.

The shopping centre has around 1,600 parking spaces at ground level for visitors, with additional parking available at BFH’s multi-level car park adjacent to the supermarket.

Waitrose has maintained its reputation over the years for providing good quality food products. Through its base at Villamar, the company plans to give shoppers a unique experience that packages the finest quality.

Special attention will be paid to accommodating locally sourced products to meet the needs of its Bahraini customers.

Spread across 35,900 sq m, Villamar @ the Harbour is BFH’s unique, luxury residential component. It is scheduled for completion during the second half of  2010.-TradeArabia News Service