Work on a BD11 million ($29.2 million) scheme to turn a neighbourhood of Bahrain's Muharraq area into a potential World Heritage Site will begin once the complete budget required is secured, Bahrain MPs were told.

Culture Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa aid that her ministry had already finalised plans for the project, which will see a two-kilometre stretch of old Muharraq renamed the Pearl Route.

The route refers to the historical neighbourhood where people involved in the pearl industry used to live and trade.

'The project costs BD11 million and it is just awaiting parliament to approve the national budget for this year and next year,' said Shaikha Mai.

'Whenever that is done, the project will just take eight months to be completed.

'The project will start from the famous Seyadi Home (the main pearl museum) to the Abu Maher Fort and so far we have managed to collect BD4 million from the private sector, but more is needed.

'We have already contacted the Royal Court and the Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry to help us with costs of renovating 200 homes included in the route and whenever this is complete other work will be easy to do.'

She said that the project would preserve 17 buildings and create 11 open spaces where the history of the pearl industry will be showcased.

'The project will cover the Jalamha Family Home, Ghuloom Home for Natural Herbs and Treatment, Yousif Al Alawi Home, Murad Family Home and Fakhro Home.

'It will also include some shops in the 200-year-old Qaysaryah Market, Yousif Abdulrahman Fakhro and Rashid Fakhro buildings as well as the Captain's Home and the Seyadi Mosque.'

Shaikha Mai, who was responding to a question on the project by MP Adel Al Maawada, said that the Economic Development Board (EDB) studies had revealed that the project would generate BD5m annually.

'It can easily attract 200,000 visitors annually with 10 per cent of them expected to revisit the country, 30 per cent extend their stay in Bahrain for a day and 30 per cent expected to spend at least BD23 to visit Muharraq for this project and others.

'We expect 300 jobs to be created because of this project directly and indirectly.'-TradeArabia News Service