Bahrain restarts stalled $51m indoor ski resort

Bahrain is planning to resurrect plans to build a BD20mn ($51.6mn) theme park, which will include a full-size ice arena and indoor ski slope, just months after the project was shelved, it was reported.

An agreement to push ahead with the stalled project was signed this week between Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi and Bahraini investor Fouad Shuwaitar, according to a report by Gulf Daily News (GDN).

The surprise decision to reinstate the project comes after officials moved to scrap the much-delayed project last June.

However, new backers from India have come onboard and the project has now been fast-tracked into development by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalia, the report said.

"The park has been abandoned since 2007, when a Kuwaiti investor's plan for a 'miniature Disneyland' was scrapped due to his inability to carry out work," Fouad Shuwaitar was quoted as saying. "Since then, councillors have been looking for other investors and thus we decided to step in with a bigger and better project.”

The theme park will be located at the Muharraq Grand Garden, near Bahrain International Airport, and will include a three-storey shopping centre, business centre, indoor sports arena, outdoor pitches, aquatic museum, karting track, mosque and an elderly home.

Work is due to begin in February 2014 and It is expected to take two and half years to complete.

Dubai is already home to the region’s first indoor ski resort – Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates – and a similar version is currently being built at the under construction Mall of Egypt in Cairo.