
Will Manama Souq Rise Again? One Year After Bahrain's Biggest Market Blaze
What started as a normal day in the Kingdom turned tragic in a matter of hours.It was the middle of a typical summer when our newsroom received a call, something about a fire. Fires aren't unusual during the hot months in Manama, but this one felt different. My colleague's voice hinted at something bigger. We quickly dispatched a team to the scene, and what we witnessed was heartbreaking.
The historic Manama Souq was engulfed in flames. Civil Defence teams were battling the blaze under intense heat, working tirelessly to cool the site. Amid the chaos, a person was still trapped inside a multi-storey building, waiting for rescue.
This wasn't just any fire, it turned out to be the largest blaze in the history of the iconic Manama Souq, also known as the "Heart of Manama."
Tragically, the fire claimed the lives of a man and two women. Nine others suffered from injuries and suffocation.
A Year Later
Over a year has passed since the fire tore through 83 shops in the souq, yet little has changed. Many of the affected businesses, mostly owned by Bahrainis and run by expatriates, remain in limbo.
Our sister newspaper, Al Ayam, revisited the area recently to speak to shop owners. Most buildings still lie in ruins damaged beyond repair. Though one property owner received a violation notice earlier this year, calling for renovations, locals say the structures need to be demolished and rebuilt entirely.
'There's nothing to fix. Just rubble,' said one shop owner, pointing to a collapsed wall. 'We need a fresh start.'
For decades, traders have called this place home. Now, many are pleading for government compensation and a plan to restore the souq. 'This isn't just a market,' said an elderly vendor. 'This is the soul of Manama, where tourists, investors, and locals meet. We can't let it die.'
The delays have affected not just shop owners, but their families, especially those who relied on rental income from inherited properties.
Estimates suggest that restoring the souq could cost more than BD 10 million. Some traders have already spent up to BD 1,500 just to clear their shops of ash, debris, and ruined goods.
An elderly vendor, who has worked in the souq for over 60 years, told us, 'We've survived many challenges—but this is the worst. Just getting permit approval can take over a year.'
The Manama Souq is a hotspot for locals and tourists, especially on weekends. But now, traders say the area lacks even basic facilities like public toilets and resting spots.'People come, but they leave quickly. There's nowhere to sit, no toilets—just ruins,' said one vendor.
The fire broke out on Shaikh Abdullah Street, one of the oldest and most vibrant parts of the souq. Today, it's quiet. Walls are blackened, signs are charred, and memories hide in the ash.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Tribune
07-07-2025
- Daily Tribune
Six in 10 Bahrainis are under 35
Six in 10 Bahraini citizens are under the age of 35, according to newly published data. The figures, released in May, show 451,879 Bahrainis aged 34 or younger out of a total citizen population of 742,234 at the end of December 2024. Children under 15 accounted for 27.7 per cent, while those aged between 15 and 34 made up 33.2 per cent. The numbers indicate steady growth in the youth population over the past decade. In 2014, there were 218,814 Bahrainis aged between 15 and 34. By the end of 2024, that figure had risen to 246,359. This marks an overall increase of 12.5 per cent, with an average yearly rise of just over one per cent. Among this group, 126,600 were men and 119,759 were women. Men made up 51.3 per cent of the total. In the 0 to 14 age bracket, boys numbered 104,823 and girls 100,697. Among young men, 35,322 were aged between 15 and 19, followed by 31,313 aged 20 to 24, 30,504 aged 25 to 29, and 29,461 aged 30 to 34. Among young women, 33,818 were aged 15 to 19, 29,628 were aged 20 to 24, 28,338 were aged 25 to 29, and 27,975 were aged 30 to 34. The growing size of this age group has drawn attention from planners.


Gulf Weekly
26-06-2025
- Gulf Weekly
Beautifying Bahrain
Meet Bahraini artist Khalil Al Shaikh, who has been embellishing ma'atams ('gathering spaces') across the kingdom for decades. He reminisced the chance beginning of his artistic journey, including his striking tile work typically found at these events, coinciding with Muharram, which begins tomorrow, June 27. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar. Every year during Muharram, thousands of Bahrainis flock to stunning ma'atams around the country to admire them and their beauty. However, not many stop to think about the hands that put the tiles in place, or about the heart and soul that men and women put into the beautification process. Among those men is veteran carpenter and tile worker, 73-year-old Khalil, whose creations have been admired by many. His portfolios spans Islamic artwork, woodwork, gypsum designs and tile work, which are exhibited at various locations in Bahrain, including Ma'atam Shabab Al Hamala, Ma'atam Mansour Bin Nayem in Muharraq, Ma'atam Al Khoder in Bani Jamra, Ma'atam Alasfoor in Sitra and Ma'atam Al Basri in Bilad Qadeem. He loves making works with the name of Allah on it; perhaps his pièce de résistance, is a glow in the dark piece with Allah's name as a centrepiece. Khalil's tryst with art began during his school days. At 15 years old, he seemed like just your typical student with an interest in handicrafts. One rainy day, his life changed when he took a detour on his way to school. 'My books got really wet because of the downpour,' the Buhair resident said. 'Instead of going to school, I stopped by a carpentry workshop to dry off. 'I just stood there at the entrance of the shop, and the man asked me what I wanted. 'Without thinking, I told him that I wanted to work for him and learn from him. He let me stay for the day. 'I stood there admiring his work, and later, he just handed me the keys to the workshop and told me to open shop in the morning and clean up. 'From there, everything just happened to fall into place.' Khalil spent years honing his craft as a carpenter, eventually finding himself in workshops across the country. Although he loved woodwork, what really ended up capturing his curiosity and passion was working on traditional styles. 'I met a man named Ahmed Al Areifi in the late 70s, and he asked me to help him make indoor décor using gypsum for a shop,' he said. 'I took to it much faster than I did with carpentry, it felt so simple, so flexible and yet so elegant.' Khalil's handicraft gradually gained fame, designing artwork and pieces for the Bahrain National Museum, the Housing and Urban Planning Ministry, and, once he learned tilework, both indoor and outdoor décor for ma'atams. He proudly states his work is '100 per cent Bahraini made'. Even though he is still going strong, Khalil hopes to see a new generation of Bahrainis take up more handiwork. 'I will be more than happy to teach them,' he said. Nobody knows our culture and tradition better than us Bahrainis. 'If you have the love of traditional handicraft and the desire to learn and grow and be creative, then I will take you in and teach you everything I know,' he added.


Daily Tribune
11-06-2025
- Daily Tribune
Will Manama Souq Rise Again? One Year After Bahrain's Biggest Market Blaze
TDT | Manama What started as a normal day in the Kingdom turned tragic in a matter of was the middle of a typical summer when our newsroom received a call, something about a fire. Fires aren't unusual during the hot months in Manama, but this one felt different. My colleague's voice hinted at something bigger. We quickly dispatched a team to the scene, and what we witnessed was heartbreaking. The historic Manama Souq was engulfed in flames. Civil Defence teams were battling the blaze under intense heat, working tirelessly to cool the site. Amid the chaos, a person was still trapped inside a multi-storey building, waiting for rescue. This wasn't just any fire, it turned out to be the largest blaze in the history of the iconic Manama Souq, also known as the "Heart of Manama." Tragically, the fire claimed the lives of a man and two women. Nine others suffered from injuries and suffocation. A Year Later Over a year has passed since the fire tore through 83 shops in the souq, yet little has changed. Many of the affected businesses, mostly owned by Bahrainis and run by expatriates, remain in limbo. Our sister newspaper, Al Ayam, revisited the area recently to speak to shop owners. Most buildings still lie in ruins damaged beyond repair. Though one property owner received a violation notice earlier this year, calling for renovations, locals say the structures need to be demolished and rebuilt entirely. 'There's nothing to fix. Just rubble,' said one shop owner, pointing to a collapsed wall. 'We need a fresh start.' For decades, traders have called this place home. Now, many are pleading for government compensation and a plan to restore the souq. 'This isn't just a market,' said an elderly vendor. 'This is the soul of Manama, where tourists, investors, and locals meet. We can't let it die.' The delays have affected not just shop owners, but their families, especially those who relied on rental income from inherited properties. Estimates suggest that restoring the souq could cost more than BD 10 million. Some traders have already spent up to BD 1,500 just to clear their shops of ash, debris, and ruined goods. An elderly vendor, who has worked in the souq for over 60 years, told us, 'We've survived many challenges—but this is the worst. Just getting permit approval can take over a year.' The Manama Souq is a hotspot for locals and tourists, especially on weekends. But now, traders say the area lacks even basic facilities like public toilets and resting spots.'People come, but they leave quickly. There's nowhere to sit, no toilets—just ruins,' said one vendor. The fire broke out on Shaikh Abdullah Street, one of the oldest and most vibrant parts of the souq. Today, it's quiet. Walls are blackened, signs are charred, and memories hide in the ash.