Bahrain - A multi-million-dollar medical city in the Southern Governorate has moved a step closer to its operation as the first phase of work is expected to be completed next year.

The King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) project near Durrat Al Bahrain occupies approximately 82,000 square metres within a total land area of one million square metres.

Inspection of the progress of work was conducted by Supreme Council for Health (SCH) chairman Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, during which he was briefed on the construction progress and inspected the state-of-the-art intensive care facilities.

He was accompanied by Works Minister Ibrahim Al Hawaj, Health Minister Dr Jalila Al Sayyed, alongside several undersecretaries and senior officials from the health and engineering sectors.

Also present was Arabian Gulf University (AGU) president Dr Saad Al Fuhaid.

“The city is expected to create more than 1,000 job opportunities, enhance medical training and research, and transform Bahrain into a leading regional healthcare destination offering unprecedented specialised services,” said a statement yesterday.

During the site visit, Lt Gen Dr Shaikh Mohammed affirmed that the establishment of KAMC embodies the deep, distinguished and fraternal relations between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

He stressed the ongoing bilateral co-operation in the health and education sectors.

“This vital project enjoys the support of the Saudi-Bahraini Co-ordination Council, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia,” said Lt Gen Dr Shaikh Mohammed.

He further commended the significant efforts of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and its continuous support for strategic development projects in Bahrain.

The KAMC project will also consist of a university hospital exceeding 280 beds, 77 outpatient clinics, 15 operating rooms, and a medical education centre.

The hospital will cover all four main specialties of internal medicine, paediatrics, surgery and obstetrics and gynecology, with all their main subspecialities.

It includes 37 ICU beds, 32 negative isolation rooms, and eight positive. It also includes 12 bariatric beds, two royal suites, and 10 VIP suites.

The project will also house medical education and research centres focused on regional health priorities such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The $260 million facility, funded by a grant from the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is being built on a one-million-square-metre plot of land near Askar donated by His Majesty King Hamad.

The financial grant and land were donated to AGU for the development, with the funding channelled through the SFD.

“The SFD has played a central role throughout the implementation phases of the project, which has reached a major construction milestone and anticipated completion by the end of 2026, establishing the Medical City as a landmark for medical innovation and scientific research in the region,” said Dr Al Fuhaid.

During the visit, Engineer Khalid Ibrahim, the project supervisor, reviewed the development phases, noting that the first phase includes the operation of a teaching hospital.

The medical centre had originally been set to be operational at the end of 2022, but work was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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