The Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Dr Juma Al Kaabi, said that the Rashid Abdulrahman Al Zayani Marina project is complete with every facility and will serve the people of Jasra, praising the efforts of the family of Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al Zayani in creating charitable projects of this kind, which benefit local people and especially children and families.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the marina of the late Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al Zayani and of Jasra Park yesterday, held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and attended by the Governor of the Northern Governorate, a number of officials and members of parliament, the chairman and members of the Northern Municipal Council, the family of the late Rashid Al Zayani and a large gathering of the people of Jasra.
Minister Al Kaabi added that, following the directives of His Highness Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad, President of the Supreme Council for Environment and Wildlife, to provide marinas throughout the Kingdom, work began with Hidd marina and then Malkiya, Askar and Tubli. He noted that Hidd marina would open within six months and Malkiya soon afterwards in cooperation with the Ministry of Works, that there are plans to develop the coastline, and that the ministry will continue to open model marinas along the lines of the Rashid Al Zayani marina.
He explained that the marina was named after Rashid Al Zayani because of the family's long history, its ties to the area, its support for it and its love of charitable work, and he valued the support of Khalid bin Rashid Al Zayani and his cooperation with the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and the Municipal Council in establishing such vital projects in the service of the country and its citizens.
The Chairman of the Board of the Rashid Abdulrahman Al Zayani Charity Foundation, Mr Khalid Rashid Al Zayani, expressed on his own behalf and on behalf of the members of the Foundation his thanks and gratitude to His Majesty the King for his patronage of the ceremony, and to everyone who contributed to the project: the Northern Municipality, the municipal representative Mubarak Faraj Al Dossary and Al Tawil Group, for completing the project in the shortest possible time.
Al Zayani said that on this blessed day, as they celebrate with the people of Jasra the opening of a project that their late father had asked to be built, Jasra was and remains a home for them, where they grew up, and a harbour their father used for fishing, knowing every fishing spot in the area in detail.
He added that the Rashid Abdulrahman Al Zayani Charity Foundation carried out the main works at the marina and the park together with the Northern Municipality, so that it has now become an important project both economically and for tourism, providing the people of Jasra with a modern marina that can take a variety of fishing boats, along with a large park, a swimming beach, a children's playground, a mosque and other service facilities.
The Director General of the Northern Municipality, Abdulkarim Hasan, said: "Today we celebrate another achievement that embodies the reality of community partnership between the public and private sectors. It also gladdens us to see among Bahraini dignitaries a refined civic value that is in fact part of this soil we are all proud to belong to, a value that may not be found in many countries: offering charitable work in its highest and finest sense to society as a whole."
He explained: "When the land for this marina, measuring 15,000 square metres, was allocated, we at the Northern Municipality were not concerned about how it would be built, because we knew for certain that this good land produces men who love charitable work — until the Mabara of the late Rashid Al Zayani came forward to build this marina at a cost of 450,000 dinars, with the Northern Municipality contributing the designs and the supervision of the project, in addition to planting, landscaping and providing play equipment throughout."
He said the marina takes 30 boats and includes a 60-metre sandy beach, in addition to a 2,000 square metre green area for families, a sandy play area with a beach volleyball court and play space covering 1,800 square metres, as well as public facilities such as toilets for men and women, parking for 50 cars, and a 160-metre green strip along the northern side of the project.
For his part, the Head of Inspection and Control at the Northern Municipality and supervisor of the project, Abdulaziz Al Wadiana, said that the depth of the marina ranges from 1.2 to 1.5 metres and that the project includes an artificial island of approximately 360 square metres, which acts as a breakwater protecting the shore and can also be used for shore fishing.
He continued: "The northern strip was designed to serve as a coastal walkway along the length of the marina. There are also two rest areas in the project overlooking the shore directly, each with a shade canopy, and two further canopies are being installed in the green area."
The Northern municipal council member Mubarak Faraj Al Dossary praised the Al Zayani family and their great contributions to charitable work.
On behalf of the people of Jasra, Mubarak Salem Al Amiri said that he and the local people welcome the opening of the marina and the inauguration of Jasra Park, noting His Majesty the King's interest in coastal development and the development of villages, and the follow-up and support of the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince for the development of villages, and praising the Al Zayani family and their support in completing the project.
