Amwaj Islands

Amwaj Islands (Arabic: جزر أمواج‎; transliterated: Juzur Amwaj) are a group of man-made islands, located in the Persian Gulf to the northeast of Bahrain, near the coast of Muharraq island. They lie 10.5 km (6.5 mi) northeast of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island.

Amwaj Islands
Native name:
جزر أمواج  (Arabic)
Amwaj Islands
Location of Amwaj Islands in Bahrain
Geography
LocationPersian Gulf
Coordinates26.29°N 50.67°E / 26.29; 50.67
ArchipelagoBahrain
Adjacent bodies of waterPersian Gulf
Total islands9
Major islands
  • Amwaj
  • Najmah
  • Tala
  • Wardeh
  • Hamama
  • Dalphene
  • Farasha
  • Dilmuniya
  • Qassar Jurdi
Area4.31 km2 (1.66 sq mi)
Highest elevation0 m (0 ft)
Administration
GovernorateMuharraq Governorate
Largest settlementFloating City (pop. 6,000)
Demographics
DemonymBahraini
Population10,000 (2010)
Pop. density2,320/km2 (6010/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsBahraini, non-Bahraini
Additional information
Time zone
ISO codeBH-15
Official websitewww.bahrain.com

Geography

Amwaj Islands have an area of 4.31 km².

The Amwaj Islands were reclaimed from the relatively shallow seas to the northeast of Muharraq Island, which is the northernmost island in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

History

In the year 2000, a plan for created for a pioneering project in Bahrain, the first to offer 100% freehold land ownership to expatriates living in the Kingdom of Bahrain, was devised; thus came the plan of Amwaj Islands. The plan was also to increase the supply of waterfront property which is in low supply in this small island nation. The project is being developed by Oasis Real Estate Development Company with an investment of 1.5 billion US dollars[1] At 2002 the project started taking form. The first phase completed in 2003. the second in 2004, when Cisco and Oracle began laying fabric for communications on the islands. At 2016, Amwaj Islands saw the completion of infrastructure such as electricity, roads, water, sewerage and telecoms, and became fit for residential use.

Over the past decade, a series of hotels have also opened on the island such as the Art Rotana, The Grove Hotel, Ramada Hotel and Suites, The Sea Loft and the Dragon Hotel.[2]

Description

From an engineering perspective Amwaj introduced a number of new technologies to the region including geotubes for the reclamation phase of these islands, vacuum sewerage and fibre optic "Smart City" technology among others. The Islands contain residential,[3] commercial (highrise) and hotel[4] and retail buildings, as well as a 240 m diameter circular marina with over 140 berths.[5]

Administration

The island belongs to Muharraq Governorate .

Transportation

Amwaj Islands are connected to Muharraq Island by two causeways, each about 1 km in length. The distance between the new island and Bahrain International Airport is only 4.5 km.

  • Map 1
  • District Map
  • The plan of Amwaj Islands
  • An aerial view of Amwaj Islands & Muharraq Island, looking towards the south.

References
  1. Amwaj Islands Development
  2. "Amwaj Islands |". amwaj.bh. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  3. Selling plots
  4. Rotana
  5. Project Details on Design Build Website
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