Sungai Ara

Sungai Ara is a residential neighbourhood within the city of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located south of the city centre, it lies between Relau, Bayan Baru and Bayan Lepas.

Etymology

Sungai Ara literally means 'fig river' in Malay; it was named after an eponymous river which flows through the area.

Sungai Ara was formerly an agricultural area; to this day, the original village of Sungai Ara still stands at the intersection of Jalan Dato Ismail Hashim and Jalan Tengah. The development of Sungai Ara into a residential township only began in the late 20th century, following the creation of the adjacent Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone in the 1970s.

Jalan Dato Ismail Hashim and Jalan Tengah are the main thoroughfares within the neighbourhood. The former road was once known as Jalan Sungai Ara; the road was then renamed after a well-known Malaysian Quran reciter.
Rapid Penang bus routes 301, 302, 306 and 308 include stops within Sungai Ara, connecting the neighbourhood with various destinations, including Penang's capital city of George Town, the Penang International Airport, Bayan Lepas, Bayan Baru, Queensbay Mall, Setia SPICE and Teluk Kumbar.

Sungai Ara is served by four primary schools and a single high school.
Primary schools

High school