Councillors in Bahrain claim to have been left in the dark about work on a new BD10 million ($26.5 million) market in Jidhafs area of the Kingdom that is almost five months overdue.

Members of the Northern Municipal Council say first phase of the project should have been completed this summer.

However, work on the market, which would replace the existing Jidhafs Central Market on a 13,000-sq m plot of land, has yet to begin.

Preliminary designs for the new project have already been drawn up and were finalised in December.

The project was due to feature a traditional market and a mega shopping mall with office space.

It earlier faced eight years of delays as the landowners of two plots adjacent to the existing market refused to sell them to the Northern Municipality.

However, following the intervention of Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi, the owners agreed to be partners in the project.

Council vice-chairman and area councillor Sayed Ahmed Al Alawi said work on the project should have begun in January and reasons for the delay were unclear.

"We would have accepted work to be halted because of the political unrest that started in February, but not starting with the project as planned, is something that we don't accept," he said.

"The contract was signed in May last year in a gala ceremony and merchants and the public were very happy and thought as we did that the project was kicking off sooner than expected, but hopes have been dashed.

"It is a dream project that seems poised never to happen and every time we solve a problem something bad comes out of nowhere to stop it.

"Hopefully the delay can be averted and the project started soon and finished on time."

Al Alawi said traders had welcomed the project after assurances that their businesses would not be harmed.

"The project, if it goes ahead, will be implemented gradually so as not to hurt the businesses of existing merchants," he said.

"We have requested that the first phase of the project focuses on the market, since having it is the most important issue.

"With this we will achieve our main target and that's a bigger place for merchants and shoppers."

Al Alawi said the Northern Municipality would have a 26 per cent share in the project, as it owned the land of the existing market.

"This means that the council will be responsible for providing funding according to that share, while private sector partners will be obliged to fulfil their financial obligations for the remaining amount," he said.

"I believe the idea of having landowners as partners is excellent, considering the current central market is in a bad state.

"The deal is fair as everyone will be getting what they want - our partners will be allowed to open a mega shopping mall with offices without the need of going through lengthy municipal procedures and we will have a bigger market for merchants."

Al Alawi said the ministry must keep the public up to date with the status of the planned market.

"The project is amazing and reasons for it's delay have to be stated because people are bombarding us with calls, which we can't explain," he said.

"Hopefully, we will be able to do so in the upcoming days if another date for work to begin is given to us," he added.-TradeArabia News Service