Madinat Salman central market put out to tender

A central market, supermarket and sports hub are to be built in Madinat Salman under a new tender aimed at filling gaps in shops and services as the city grows.

The second phase covers three commercial and service plots, with the central market on Plot 11 forming the main part of the scheme. It will house separate meat, fish and vegetable markets, alongside small shops and restaurants, across 1,478.72 square metres of built space.

The market is meant to bring everyday shopping closer to homes in Madinat Salman and cut the need for residents to travel to nearby districts for basic goods.

A much larger supermarket is planned for Plot 16, with 3,534.66 square metres of built space.

Plot 17 will be used for a sports and community site with two football pitches and two drive-through restaurants. The buildings there will cover 217.34 square metres.

The three sites will together add about 5,230.72 square metres of built space, bringing new retail, food and leisure uses alongside the city’s growing stock of homes.

Tender 378/2026/BTB carries a BD5,000 initial bond and a BD100 document fee. The contract will run for 12 months and bids and guarantees must remain valid for 180 days.

Companies registered in GCC countries can bid. Tender documents can be bought until September 19, while bids must be filed by September 27 and will be opened the next day.

The latest scheme comes after two years of heavy building in Madinat Salman, where work has moved from housing alone towards shops, schools, sports grounds and other public services.

In November 2024, 1,362 flats opened on Island 12 under the new generation of housing apartment blocks. The project cost BD132 million and included car parks and shared facilities.

The Housing and Urban Planning Ministry followed in October 2025 with work on another 432 ownership flats, alongside open spaces and public amenities.

It also put 512 social housing units on Island 12 out to tender during 2025, spread across Plots 15, 18 and 19. Fifteen technical bids were filed, with 10 firms reaching the financial stage. The lowest offer was about BD42.7 million.

Private housing has grown alongside the state schemes. Handover of homes in the 131-villa Hai Al Naseem began in September 2025, while work has since started on another 137 homes split into packages of 69, 44 and 24 units under the Government Land Development Rights Programme.