Beyon Taps Aecom to Masterplan Bahrain’s Ambitious $700M Digital City

Editorial Team

Last updated 25-03-2025

3 min

Beyon partners with Aecom for Bahrain's $700 million Digital City project in Hamala.

The project will integrate office, tech, and social spaces with a sustainable urban design.

Cooperation with UPDA ensures Digital City complements Bahrain's infrastructure and growth plans.

Digital City aims to be a tech hotspot, enhancing mobility and business opportunities.

Sustainable transport and open spaces are key features of this innovative urban initiative.

Bahrain is steering into the digital age with gusto, as Beyon—one of the kingdom's biggest names in information technology and telecoms—has chosen Aecom to be the master planner for its groundbreaking Digital City project. Valued at an impressive $700 million, this project promises to turn Bahrain's Hamala area into a bustling centre of tech innovation and entrepreneurship.

Aecom's role will be to craft a comprehensive, cohesive blueprint for Digital City, blending offices, tech facilities and lively social spaces into one dynamic package. The plan also has a serious green touch, highlighting open landscaped areas and sustainable urban features aimed at making it a comfortable and attractive place for workers and residents alike.

A crucial part of Aecom's strategy will be ensuring the new Digital City slots neatly into Bahrain's existing urban fabric and connects seamlessly with the country's wider transportation networks. Indeed, Bahrain's Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) will actively oversee the urban integration process, making sure the Digital City aligns with the kingdom's broader growth and infrastructure plans.

The deal was inked in a formal ceremony at Beyon's HQ, bringing together some prominent faces including Beyon CEO Andrew Kvaalseth, Digital City Development Company Chairman Faisal Al Jalahma, UPDA CEO Engineer Ahmed Al Khayat, and Aecom's Head of Buildings + Places in Bahrain, David Border.

Speaking at the event, Al Jalahma described Aecom’s involvement as "a big step forward" in fulfilling the project's vision of creating a vibrant international technology hotspot. "We're confident Aecom's extensive experience, coupled with solid support from Bahraini authorities, will truly turbocharge our push into the digital economy, marking Bahrain firmly on the global tech and innovation map," he said.

Also voicing optimism, engineer Ahmed Al Khayat highlighted UPDA's commitment to working hand-in-glove with Aecom and other stakeholders, stressing the project would improve mobility, enhance business interactions, and stimulate fresh commercial possibilities. "Aligning the Digital City initiative with our wider urban strategy is central to generating sustainable growth," Al Khayat noted.

Alongside novel multi-modal transport systems—such as an automated tram—and generous, open green spaces, Digital City is set to become an appealing and sustainable urban environment, designed with future growth and workplace wellbeing very mucch in mind.

Aecom's David Border offered assurances that sustainable design and everyday practicality would guide their planning, stating, "We're excited about the opportunity to deliver a vibrant, innovation-led cityscape, with thoughtfully integrated transport and infrastructure that places people firmly at the heart of its ambitious vision."

For readers of Arageek interested in tech developments in the Gulf, Digital City marks one to watch. If all proceeds smoothly, this landmark Bahrain development is set to place the kingdom ahead of the curve in digital infrastructure, promising everything from new career opportunities to cutting-edge research and investment from abroad—a genuine game-changer for the region's digital economy.

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