Retracing the island: the implications of land reclamation practices on coastal public space participation in Bahrain

As the only island-nation in the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain exemplifies the realities and repercussions of the region’s land reclamation practices popularized since the discovery of oil. Manifesting physically beyond the once-public seashores of Bahrain’s Northern Shore and capital, the state’s rapid growth has enabled private mega real-estate development to alienate the local public from their cultural landscape. The article explores the implications of land reclamation practices on coastal public space participation in Bahrain. Through a historical analysis of colonial-influenced planning policies and global ambitions, the study contextualizes the transforming notions of public ownership of the coast throughout the twentieth century. It then observes the current informal use of vacant reclaimed land in Bahrain on the Northern Coast with case studies of Karbabad Beach and the Nurana Islands as well as a user survey to identify opportunities for possible coastal planning methodologies derived from island-dwellers’ autonomous relationship with the shore, a pedagogy lacking in the wider Gulf region.