A historic hotel in the heart of Manama, Bahrain could be refurbished as part of plans to reinvigorate tourism in the kingdom using private sector investment.

The Bahrain Hotel, near Bab Al Bahrain, is claimed to be the oldest hotel in the GCC and has been earmarked for a major revamp, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

There are also plans to build a new hotel for tourists on the Pearl Route, which celebrates Bahrain's pearl trade heritage and was acknowledged as a World Heritage Site in 2012, and develop the Al Fateh Corniche in Manama.

The Cabinet yesterday gave the proposals by Culture Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa the initial go-ahead, but referred the issue to a ministerial committee for review.

"We are looking to develop the cultural infrastructure and the three projects are a step in that direction," Minister of State for Information Affairs and official government spokeswoman Sameera Rajab told a press conference after the weekly Cabinet session yesterday.

"Whenever investment offers or plans are approved by the Cabinet, all details will be announced.

"In regard to the investment deal signed by the Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry to revamp the corniche, we are not yet sure if the Culture Ministry wants certain parts that are not included with the first investor or the whole corniche."

The Bahrain Hotel was originally opened in 1950 on Government Avenue to serve GCC and Arab leaders and was owned by Abdulnoor Al Baskati.

The Pearl Route refers to the historical neighbourhood where people involved in the pearl industry used to live and trade and a BD11 million ($28.9 million) project has already begun to preserve traditional buildings and homes at the site.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet yesterday discussed plans to spend a second loan from the Islamic Bank for Development to upgrade the old Manama suq near Bab Al Bahrain.

However, it also referred the proposal from Shaikha Mai to a ministerial committee for review. - TradeArabia News Service