Bahrain: Developments related to the Construction Industry
New measures to enhance the safety standards of buildings have been introduced in respect to the construction of buildings prior to the issuance of any building permits in order to reduce violations to law.
The new measures are introduced in Law No. (20) of 2022 on amending Article (5) of Law Decree No. 13 of 1977 with respect to Constructional Organisation of Buildings, due to several construction incidents which have occurred in the Kingdom where safety measures were not followed adequately causing injuries and fatalities at the building construction sites.
The new pre-requisites include submitting: (a) drawings of the side including the adjacent properties within 100 metres radius and showing the construction site including the facilities on the site; (b) drawings of architectural and construction accounting details; (c) soil test certificate (see further details below); and (d) evidence of the applicant’s knowledge of construction site.
In collaboration with the above, developers are required to carry out compulsory soil testing prior to obtaining building permits.
The new guidelines will promote safer buildings across the Kingdom by ensuring that projects are suitable for the soil and terrain and will also provide information on a development’s lifespan.
The Works Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Directorate (Directorate) has confirmed that these new guidelines can easily be implemented, as Bahrain has numerous companies, both local and international joint ventures, which employ qualified and experienced Bahrainis who can carry out the soil tests.
It has been suggested that the Directorate closely monitors the soil test price to ensure that a sudden rise does not occur due to increased demand.