Ithmaar Development Company (IDC) has announced the signing of an agreement to design the Dilmunia Gateway Bridge which will connect the $1.6 billion Dilmunia island to Bahrain's mainland.

The deal has been agreed with design consultancy firm Dar Al- Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners), a statement said.

The agreement was signed between IDC Chief Executive and Member of the Board, Mohammed Khalil Alsayed and Dar AI-Handasah Consultants (Shair and Partners) Director of Operations of UAE, Bahrain and Oman, Bassam Shakhshir.

The Dilmunia Gateway Bridge will be designed "to a high standard to be an aesthetically appealing landmark", the statement added.

The $1.6 billion Dilmunia Project is a mixed-use development built on a man-made island off the coast of Muharraq with a health and wellness anchor including residences, hotels and leisure and shopping districts.

The development of the 125-hectare man-made island is being managed by IDC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank.

"I am pleased to welcome Dar Al-Handasah Consultants to work with us on this main key feature of our development," said Mohammed Khalil Alsayed, IDC chief executive.

"We are confident that the bridge design shall ensure the objectives of aesthetics, traffic and utility crossings, while maintaining the constraints of cost effectiveness and life span durability. This, we believe, will further enhance the identity of Dilmunia Island."