KEO International Consultants (KEO) has been appointed to spearhead the master plan and design of a $450 million development in Bahrain's Seef District. 

This was announced by First Bahrain Real Estate Development Company (First Bahrain).

Located on a 21,000 sq m plot in the heart of the Seef District, just opposite the new Bahrain City Centre Mall, the development will feature a hospitality complex including a Sharia’a-compliant four-star hotel and serviced apartments along with office and residential towers. 

The development’s strategic location, size and scale will help meet the market’s increasing demand for Sharia’a-compliant commercial projects.

Award-winning architectural firm, KEO has designed many of the region’s most esteemed projects, including the master plans for Mohamed bin Zayed City and Emerald Gateway in Abu Dhabi, along with the design of Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi and The Pearl in Qatar.  KEO also recently earned the prestigious ranking of being among the world’s top 200 International Design Firms.

Welcoming the agreement with KEO, First Bahrain general manager Amin A Al Arrayed said:  “As a growing real estate development company, it is important for us to be aligned with a partner such as KEO, whose wealth of expertise and experience will enable us to realize our vision for our Seef development.

“We will be working closely with KEO to design a new and exciting community, combining residential, office and hospitality concepts that will meet the market’s increasing demand for innovative and pioneering new projects.”

Al Arrayed added: “Especially as the City Centre Mall nears completion, our development reinforces the Seef District’s growing importance as the new center for living, working and shopping in the Kingdom. 

“Our development will not only meet increased demand for workspace and residences due to the rapidly expanding economy, it also meets a demand for more Sharia’a-compliant commercial projects,” said Al Arrayed. 

“The initial phase of the venture, being the four star Sharia’a-compliant hotel and serviced apartments, will be built over a three-year period, beginning in the first quarter of 2008.”

Commenting on the project, KEO senior vice-president Ali Dashti said:

“We are very pleased to have been selected by First Bahrain to design this prestigious new mixed use development. 

“We believe the development will add enormous value to the people of Bahrain, especially to those who will live and work in this new community.”

First Bahrain, whose principal shareholders are leading and regional institutions including Global Investment House of Kuwait, will be the primary developer for hospitality components of the prestigious project. 

First Bahrain is seeking partners and institutional investors to co-develop the remaining segments of the project along with them.

First Bahrain Real Estate Development Company is a regional real estate developer established in Kuwait in October 2004 with a paid up capital of KD30,000,000 ($106,800,000)

First Bahrain’s principal shareholders are leading regional institutions and high-profile real estate investors including Global Investment House, Wafra International Investments, Esterad Investment Co, Action Real Estate Group and Al Manar Leasing and Financial Co.

Founded in 1964, KEO provides  world-class professional design and project  management services. 

KEO offers award winning architectural design, progressive infrastructure engineering and award winning project and construction management known for quality and professionalism. 

Over the past decade, KEO has expanded from a mid-sized practice to one of the fastest growing companies in the regional.

The privately owned firm has been ranked by Engineering News Record (ENR) fo