34 collapse-risk buildings tracked in three years in Muharraq

TDT | Manama

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Thirty-four buildings considered at risk of collapse have been recorded in Muharraq’s Fourth Constituency over the past three years, Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Eng. Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak told Parliament, adding that owners are responsible for repairs and legal action is ongoing in several cases.

In a written reply to MP Hisham Al Awadhi, the minister said 13 buildings had been addressed through demolition or repair, 11 were under legal action, and 10 were nearing completion of ownership checks.

The ministry, working with the Capital Secretariat, municipal directorates, and other agencies, conducts regular inspections in older neighbourhoods to identify unsafe buildings. When a dangerous property is found, the surrounding area can be cordoned off until legal and administrative procedures are completed. Owners are notified and required to maintain their buildings to prevent hazards.

Al Mubarak noted that while owners have the right to repair or alter their property, municipal permits are required for construction, demolition, structural work, or land-level changes. Buildings are classified as at risk based on engineering reports detailing partial or full structural failure, including deep cracks in beams or columns—building age alone is not a factor.

Support options are available: homes at risk can access Eskan Bank housing loans, and under the Cities and Villages Development Project, 141 homes in Muharraq have benefited over the past three years, including 95 repairs and 45 rainproofing installations.

Abandoned houses fall outside the ministry’s monitoring scope; municipalities are notified to secure these properties.