Housing

From his position as mayor and Government's director of finance officer, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman has started drawing up plans and studies required to meet the needs of citizens in the area of public services and set the priorities for these services. The decent and healthy housing for every citizen was on top of his priorities, and based on this principle, the government laid down the plans and programs, which started to bear fruit during the first half of 1962, when Sheikh Khalifa inaugurated a ceremony for the distribution of electricity to the village Krbad in 1962.

In the second half of the same year, specifically at exactly 6:30 pm on the 7 th of August, His Highness switched the key to supply electricity to the Krbad village.

With the principle of "providing adequate housing for every citizen" being on the list of priorities, the government has allocated a governmental body to bear the responsibility of applying this major and important principle. Therefore, and on the 11 th of September 1962, the Ruler of Bahrain issued decree No. 2 of 1962 related to establishing the housing and ownership project. The decree reads: “We, Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Ruler of Bahrain and its ancillariesss, and based on our willingness to provide a better life for middle-income and limited-income citizens and upon the recommendations of the Director of Finance Department, we have decided to issue this decree....", which marked the beginning of the governmental course towards the provision of governmental adequate housing for every citizen. To achieve this purpose, the "housing committee" was formed and included in its membership Mr. Ali Abdul Rahman Al-Wazzan, Mr. Abdullah Glum, Mr. Mohamed Sadiq Al-Baharna and Professor Ahmed Al Omran.

In implementation of the content of this decree, and to celebrate the first anniversary of crowning of Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, the Ruler of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman, the Director of Finance Department and Chairman of the Housing Committee, distributed 41 Parliaments in the city of Al-Muharraq and 244 Parliaments in Manama on the 16th of December 1962. Only days later and on Thursday 20th December Sheikh Khalifa also distributed 81 title deeds to the inhabitants of the cities of Manama and Al-Muharraq.

In the framework of his interest in the housing services, and on Sunday afternoon, May 19, 1963 His Highness Sheikh Khalifa has switched on the operation button of the water plant allowing the flow of freshwater to Al Had area. The cost of this project was half a million rupees, "50 thousand Dinars," through such project, fresh water was supplied to about 150 Parliaments.

Once again, the will of challenge and determination to face difficulties has driven Sheikh Khalifa to complete the project of setting up a complete housing city. The Housing Department, which was attached to the Finance Department, was preparing studies to develop housing projects, then it would present it to the Advisory Committee for Housing, which was chaired by Shaikh Khalifa, to carefully consider these projects, in addition to thoroughly considering the recommendations. As Director of Finance, His Highness was doing everything he can to follow-up preparation of the housing projects and work on allocating budgets needed for accomplishing them without delay.
Things went so, from project to another until His Highness Sheikh Issa and Sheikh Khalifa had the opportunity to culminate their efforts by providing adequate housing for every citizen through the establishment of a modern and advanced city in the area between the Manama and Al Raf’a, which was considered the biggest housing project in the Arabian Gulf region at that time.

With the start of the executive steps to accomplish this giant step in 1964, resurgent movement and activity swept the project area, which included, in addition to housing, schools and health centers, the establishment of a modern sports stadium, as well as many of the necessary facilities and services to provide the comfort and the decent life for citizens. The frequent visits made by Sheikh Khalifa to the project site were a strong incentive for all employees; he was keen to be with them on an almost daily basis.

His Highness was encouraging them to exert more effort day and night to reach the greatest accomplishment.

This historic project was achieved in 1968, and His Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Ruler of the country opened the new city in a grand ceremony held on this occasion in the stadium city, in which four thousand students presented a range of parades and beautiful formations in honor of the Ruler of the country. In recognition by the citizens of the completion of this vital project, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa decided to name the new town as "Isa City."

Since that time, the launching of the construction of housing and health facilities for the citizens has accelerated. The leadership in this country continued to lead the country and to provide land for the citizens to build their homes, in addition to providing aids for people who were unable to build Parliaments.

Despite the burdens imposed by the new city project, the government, however, continued in the provision of services and setting up of facilities in all the regions of Bahrain in general and the villages in particular. In mid 1964, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman, the Director of Finance and the Mayor of Manama at the time opened the Maternity Hospital at Setra area.

The government has allocated a lot of money for the delivery of services to citizens in all areas. In October 1964, the government announced a plan to supply water to the villages of Setra, Khameas, Jedhafs and Alsenabs, Waldeyah, Mona, Merson, Malkeya and Krzkan. The costs of these projects reached more than three million rupees, "300.00 dinars." Within the framework of this construction boom, Sheikh Khalifa has supported the efforts to raise the educational level in the country and prepare the national education cadres through the opening of the Higher Institute of Teachers in 1966.

During early 1960s, and with His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa the assuming power, it was the beginning for laying the foundations of the modern state; projects increased in each area and work movement accelerated everywhere. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa has himself followed each brick added to this magnificent edifice; the urban development and the provision of adequate housing for citizens were on top of his priorities until now.

The efforts of the government did not stop in the area of construction development at this point; achievements increased day after day. Hamad city and thousands of housing units in various parts of the country were constructed. We are not here to talk about the details of these achievements, but there is a small reality I would like to mention that happened in early 1971 when His Highness Sheikh Khalifa visited the Umm Hams area. There, he noticed that a large number of citizens were living in Parliaments built of palm fronds, and within only a few months, he himself put the cornerstone of Umm Hams Housing Project, which included more than one hundred housing units, and he gave the priority for distributing these Parliaments to the inhabitants of palm frond Parliaments.