Bahrain's SMC car parks building opens

Bahrain - The long-awaited, multi-storey Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) car park building was inaugurated yesterday.

The building constructed on a 7,410sqm plot of land, which can accommodate 600 vehicles, was launched by Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh.

The project was developed and completed by Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah), the real estate arm of Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat.

The GDN previously reported that the building occupies a strategic location northeast of the hospital complex.

Flanked by two major streets, it is expected to improve the flow of traffic and provide quick access to emergency centres.

“The inauguration of this building provides essential support to the vital medical services provided by SMC,” said Ms Al Saleh in a statement yesterday.

“These parking spaces are modern and spacious with air-conditioned halls and motor-operated glass doors for all SMC employees, patients and visitors.

“The car park will contribute greatly to achieving the desired satisfaction and comfort for patients and visitors to SMC as it caters to a long-standing demand for additional parking spaces.”

The minister also highlighted that the building will ease traffic congestion in the area, as well as facilitate the traffic movement within SMC and surrounding areas.

The building also includes various utilities and services such as a National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) ATM.

The GDN had quoted in June last year area MP Ahmed Al Salloom as saying that around 10,000 people on average – including patients, visitors, employees and students of Arabian Gulf University – visit the complex every day.

He said he had been bombarded with complaints from residents and visitors to the hospital regarding overcrowding, improper parking practices and lack of spaces.

At the time he had welcomed the new multi-storey car park but had said that even the regular car parks within SMC needed to be turned into multi-storey car parks due to the sheer volume of traffic at the complex.

Meanwhile, Edamah chief executive Amin Alarrayed said that the success of the project reflects the success of key investment and development strategies for the company while establishing Edamah as a strategic development partner in the kingdom’s infrastructure.

He highlighted that construction work was completed in July with the launch as planned despite Covid restrictions.

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