Palaces for Bahrain royals, no homes for their subjects

Posted on by

This video says about itself:

Ever wondered how big a typical Royal Palace Compound in the United Arab Emirates is?

Feb 9, 2012

Was just goofn off while we were on our way from Al Ain to Dubai when I realized we were going around one single Royal Palace compound the entire time, even before I started filming… and we were going at least 30 mph for the most part… these things are huge and this probably only one of dozens of this particular Royal Family Member…..

This video says about itself:

Peaceful Demonstration to BIGGEST Royal Palace Bahrain – Attacked by Police + full coverage 11 March 2011.

From ConstructionWeekOnline.com:

‘Affordable housing doesn’t make money’: developer

by Courtney Trenwith on Sep 11, 2013

Affordable housing will continue to be a dream in many parts of the Gulf because it does not make financial sense for developers, an experienced master developer said on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, affordable housing doesn’t add up when you do the numbers,” said Bahrain Bay CEO Robert Lee, who is managing Manama’s massive 43 hectare reclamation project and has previously worked on major Dubai developments Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah and Emirates Living.

“That is the fundamental problem, that land prices in most jurisdictions are too high to actually make affordable housing.

“If you want real affordable housing you actually have to be gifted land from the government with infrastructure to the plot line, then you can actually utilise the construction cost to basically equate the affordable housing level and that’s probably the bare minimum because the cost of construction has gone so high that you can no longer add the land price or anything else.

“This is going to be a fundamental issue in many of the regions, especially in Dubai.”

The real estate industry and governments are increasingly stating that markets need more affordable housing instead of dramatic apartment towers.

Rents in Dubai have risen an average 9% since the start of the year.

Outlying areas and new developments are particularly experiencing growth in demand as escalating rents push residents to more affordable areas.

The need for more affordable housing was particularly witnessed in April when Emaar launched its Al Reem master development near Arabian Ranches with villas priced from $270,000. Buyers lined up for at least two days. It is not known how many of the buyers will be end-users.

In Saudi Arabia, the government is attempting to build 500,000 homes across the kingdom, majority of which would be for low-income families.

However, construction companies revealed this week the ambitious goal was under threat because the intense demand was putting pressure on their ability to import sufficient building materials and causing wages to rise.

Even if they maybe rise a bit now, most construction workers in the Arab Gulf absolute monarchies are paid starvation wages. That is, if their wages get paid at all. So, shifting the blame for unaffordable housing to workers … nice try [sarcasm off].

Once again the Bahraini media has proven that it plays fast and loose with the truth in its reporting of the regime’s meetings with foreign diplomats. An article in today’s English-language Gulf Daily News claimed that U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council at Geneva Eileen Donahoe refuted remarks made by earlier in the week by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in which she criticized the government of Bahrain: here. See also here.

Related articles