Bilaj Al Jazayer
Tivoli and Avani
Two hotel brands with residences, being built on the beachfront. The main contractor was appointed in 2024.
- On the beach
- Hotels and homes on the sand
- 1.6m sqm
- The destination, per its official site
Southern Bahrain, explained
Why the south?
It's the coastline, the beaches and Bahrain's biggest events. Now the homes, schools and a hospital are being built around them.
01The south in numbers
Six facts, before any opinion.
2004
The year Formula 1 first raced in Sakhir
46000
Seats in the stadium planned at Sports City
300
Beds in the university hospital being completed
48000
Residents planned for Khalifa City's master plan
2500
New homes signed for Khalifa City in September 2026
1.6m
Square metres of beachfront destination at Bilaj Al Jazayer
02Where things stand
What's open, what's being built, what's planned.
I've sorted everything by its latest published status, so you can see what exists today and what is still to come.
Open today
- Bahrain International Circuit (Formula 1)
- Exhibition World Bahrain
- Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre
- Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain
- Raffles Al Areen Palace
- Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq
- Hawar Resort by Mantis
- St Christopher's Senior School
- University of Bahrain
- American University of Bahrain
- The waterpark and the wildlife park
Being built
- Tivoli and Avani hotels and residences
- Bahrain Surf Park
- Azure Beach Club
- Tilal Al Areen villas
- Boulevard Al Areen
- King Abdullah Medical City hospital
- New homes in Khalifa City
Planned
- Sports City stadium and arena
- Sergio García golf course
- José María Olazábal golf course
- Areen Park Hotel
- Marinas at Nuun and Ras Hayan
This is the coastline.
Bilaj Al Jazayer on Bahrain's southwest coast: 1.6 million square metres of beachfront, being built out phase by phase.
03Year by year
It has been building for twenty years.
- 2004
Formula 1 arrives
Bahrain International Circuit opens in Sakhir.
- 2022
Business and beach
Exhibition World Bahrain and Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain both open.
- 2023
Raffles opens
Raffles Al Areen Palace opens, and Al Areen launches its new master plan.
- 2025
Hawar and Tilal
Hawar Resort by Mantis opens. Construction starts on Tilal's 151 villas and townhouses.
- 2026
The year it shows
St Christopher's senior school opens. The surf park lagoon is filled. Around 2,500 homes are signed for Khalifa City.
- 2027
Keys and care
Tivoli Residences handover in February. The Medical City hospital is expected to complete.
- Next
Still to come
Sports City, two golf courses and the next phases of the coastal communities.
04Already there
The big days out are already in the south.
Before a single new home is finished, this is where the country comes for its biggest events and its best beaches.
Bahrain International Circuit
Sakhir. The home of Formula 1
Since 2004Exhibition World Bahrain
Sakhir. Expos and conventions
Opened 2022Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre
Sakhir. Concerts and live shows
OpenJumeirah Gulf of Bahrain
Southwest coast. Beach resort
Opened 2022Raffles Al Areen Palace
Al Areen. 78 pool villas
Opened 2023Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq
Zallaq. Sea and spa resort
OpenHawar Resort by Mantis
Hawar Islands. By boat
Opened 2025Waterpark and wildlife park
Al Areen. Family days out
OpenThese are the places people drive to. In the south, you drive home from them.
05Being added
Now the homes, hotels and leisure are arriving.
Two destinations are doing most of the building: Bilaj Al Jazayer on the coast, and Al Areen just inland.
Bilaj Al Jazayer
Bahrain Surf Park
A surfing lagoon with training and leisure facilities. The lagoon was filled in September 2026, with opening targeted for 2026.
- Filled
- Lagoon complete, September 2026
- 2026
- Targeted opening
Al Areen
Tilal and the Boulevard
Villas and townhouses under construction, and a new boulevard of shops, homes and recreation with its building contract awarded.
- 151
- Villas and townhouses at Tilal
- 16,000+ sqm
- Retail on the boulevard
Leisure
Golf, beach club and waterpark
Two separate 18-hole courses are planned with Sergio García and José María Olazábal. A beach club is being built at Bilaj, and the waterpark has a USD 30m upgrade agreed.
- 2
- Golf courses planned
- USD 30m
- Waterpark upgrade agreement
"Planned" and "targeted" mean exactly that. Each item is labelled by its latest published status, and dates can move.
06Daily life
A view is nice. A school run matters more.
When you choose where to raise a family, the question is what a normal Tuesday looks like. This is the part most people don't know has changed.
| Place | Where | Status |
|---|---|---|
| St Christopher's Senior School | Al Raffa. Years 7 to 13 | Opened August 2026 |
| University of Bahrain | Sakhir campus | Open |
| American University of Bahrain | Riffa. 75,000 sqm campus | Open |
| King Abdullah Medical City | Near Durrat. 300-bed university hospital | Expected 2027 |
| Bahrain International Sports City | Sakhir. Stadium for up to 46,000 | In procurement |
07Communities
It isn't one project. It's a whole coast.
Family housing and waterfront communities are being built along the south, each at its own stage.
| Community | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Khalifa City | Askar and Jaw. Master plan for around 48,000 residents | Around 2,500 new homes signed, September 2026 |
| Ras Hayan Village | Southeast coast. Plots and canal villas, with a marina and mangrove park planned | Launched |
| Nuun Al Bahrain | Southern coast. 1.5m sqm with four canals and two planned marinas | Master plan published |
| Durrat Al Bahrain | Island resort community | Established, still growing |
| Durrat Marina | Three islands with a marina and waterfront homes | Partly delivered |
The 48,000 figure is the planned capacity of Khalifa City's master plan, not the number of people living there today.
08The money, honestly
Three numbers, labelled properly.
There is no single verified total for what's being spent in the south, and I won't invent one. These are published figures, each for what it is.
About USD 660mAlready built
Published cost or announced investment of four places already open: the circuit, Exhibition World, Jumeirah and Al Dana.
USD 320mBeing completed
Reported funding for King Abdullah Medical City.
About USD 268mIn procurement
Earlier budget allocations for Sports City (BHD 100.8m).
Headline values for whole master plans are larger, but they mix past and future phases, so I've left them out.
09"But it's far"
How far is it, really?
About 54 minutes to Manama from Bilaj Al Jazayer. I won't pretend otherwise.
The point is what's close: the beach, the resorts, the circuit and the concerts are minutes away, a senior school has opened and a hospital is being completed.
Drive times from Bilaj Al Jazayer
10Straight answers
The questions I get asked.
Is it all just plans?
No. A lot is already open. The circuit, the exhibition centre, the amphitheatre and the resorts are operating today. The rest is a mix of under construction and planned, and I've said which is which.
Why would I live there?
Because of what's close, not what's far. You live by the sea, next to the places the rest of the country travels to at the weekend.
Does this mean prices will go up?
Nobody can promise that. More to do and more places to live can support demand. It doesn't guarantee appreciation, rental income or delivery dates.
So what should I do?
Judge the home as well as the area. Look at the price, the payment plan and the delivery risk of the specific home. I'll show you the numbers for each.
This is why I'm watching it.
Whatever you know of it today, come and see what's taking shape. I'll show you the homes and the numbers.
Sources for this page
- Areen master plan and Raffles opening
- Bilaj Al Jazayer official site
- Surf park lagoon filling, September 2026
- Tilal construction award
- Boulevard Al Areen construction award
- Waterpark USD 30m upgrade agreement
- Olazabal golf course at Al Areen
- Rashid Equestrian master plan
- Garcia golf course agreement
- Sports City contractor prequalification
- King Abdullah Medical City project page
- St Christopher's campuses
- AUBH campus
- Khalifa City contract signing, 29 September 2026
- Housing Ministry city descriptions
- Ras Hayan Village
- Nuun Al Bahrain
- Durrat Al Bahrain
- Bahrain International Circuit history
- Exhibition World Bahrain project value
- Al Dana Amphitheatre
- Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain
- Hawar resort opening
Statuses reflect the latest published announcements I could find, not a site inspection. Figures are announced or historical values as labelled. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of appreciation, rental income or return.
From the official transaction registry
Every real transaction in Bahrain, month by month
Not asking prices. 66,949 registered sales since 2019 - what sold, where, and for how much. Every month gets its own page: the property mix, the busiest areas, the price bands and the biggest cheques.
Browse the months
September 2026
latest month
626registered sales
BD 88.2Mchanged hands
