Maldives 

Economy
Enabling growth, preserving paradise
By 2054, half of all Maldivians could be living in Malé, an immense challenge for the future of this young country.
Politics
“Investing in a blue economy will push the country forward”
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Abdulla Shahid
Urbanism
When an island needs to grow
For a youth with growing housing, comforts, services and connection needs, Malé has become too small.
Urbanism
“We are creating a new state company focused on social housing development”
Aminath Athifa
Minister of Housing and Urban Development
Telecom & IT
“We provide 4G services to the entire population”
Ismail Rasheed
CEO & Managing Director at Dhiraagu
Energy
“I want to see 50% of our generation coming from solar within the next 5 years”
Hassan Mughnee
Managing Director of STELCO
Energy
“Nearly every one of the hundreds of inhabited islands depend on diesel for power”
Hussain Aman
General Manager and Director of Business Development of The Hawks
Economy
“There should be a system designed to give more advantages to native suppliers”
Ismail Noordeen
Managing Director of Euro Marketing PVT. Ltd.
Real Estate & Construction
“New government policies open doors for partnerships with overseas players”
Abdul Majeed
Managing Director of Bison Maldives
Transport
Overcoming a dispersed geography
To tackle the country’s geographic challenges, the government is focusing on enabling mobility by improving connectivity.
Transport
“We will continue to focus on environmentally friendly transport solutions”
Aishath Nahula
Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
Transport
“We cater to 35 international airlines that connect the Maldives to 40 destinations”
Moosa Solih
Acting Managing Director of MACL
Transport
“We are planning to open four new routes, including direct connections to some cities in Europe”
Mohamed Rizvi
Managing Director of Maldivian Airways
Transport
“There should be a single plane tariff for everyone”
Abdulla Nashid
Managing Director at FLYME
Urbanism
“Domestic maritime transport is key for the development of this nation”
Mohamed Aslam
Minister of National Planning and Infrastructure
Fisheries
The world’s most sustainable fisheries call for support
The Maldivian traditional fishing industry faces serious economic challenges.
Fisheries
“Sustainable fishing comes at a premium for consumers”
Ismail Fauzee
Managing Director of MIFCO
Fisheries
“We need a technology-driven next generation fishing fleet”
Zaha Waheed
Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture
Tourism
The doors of paradise open for all
With an explosion in the number of guesthouses across the country, Maldivian beaches are becoming ever more accessible to visitors.
Tourism
“We demand from investors economic and environmental sustainability”
Ali Waheed
Minister of Tourism
Tourism
“Crossroads Maldives is a game changer and will influence future developments for years to come”
Martin Van Der Reijen
VP of Operations of Crossroads Maldives
Tourism
“This is the best period for the tourism industry in the last 5 years”
Akhmeem Abdul Razzaq
Managing Director of Orca Media Group
Politics
Making new ties with old friends
The Maldives turns the page on a cloudy recent past and pushes forward with measures to strengthen democracy and transparency, rekindling its ties...
Economy
“We need the people at the highest levels in the court system to be completely replaced”
Ahmed Murad
Senior Partner at Mazlan & Murad Law Associates
Environment
Preserving the delicate natural beauty of the Maldivian atolls
Plastic bottles, discarded fishing nets and fuel leaks have become a common sight in the Maldives.
Environment
“We are targeting 70% of clean power production by 2030”
Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan
Minister of Environment
Environment
“If we keep changing plans every time a government changes, no real impact will ever be achieved”
Hassan Ahmed
President at Save The Beach Maldives
Environment
“Sustainability laws are outdated and need to be revamped”
Shaahina Ali
Chairperson at Parley for the Oceans, Maldives
Environment
Resorts join the fight for the environment
Education & Research
“Today, access to education in the Maldives is free from kindergarten to university”
Ibrahim Hassan
Minister of Higher Education
Economy
A new metropolis links up
The union of six neighbouring islands surround the capital will form the Greater Malé Region, allowing for decongestion in Malé while improving economies...
Tourism
Luxury resorts turn fantasy into reality amid sector swell
An underwater villa, sea-side ice rink and overwater salsa floor: Island-resorts are delivering on the wildest of dreams as tourist and resort numbers...
Fisheries
Making a splash for sustainability
The world's last true pole-and-line fishing nation, the Maldives' brand of "naturally sustainable" fish is coming to the Middle East.
Tourism
“Coco Privé is one of two genuine private islands in the Maldives”
Andrew Ashmore
Chief Commercial Officer of Coco Collection Hotels and Resorts
Telecom & IT
Dhiraagu connects every school with Wi-Fi
The Maldives’ top telecom, Dhiraagu is focused on the nation’s large youth segment, which is now being targeted with new services and a nationwide...
Fisheries
Fisheries reel in big catch from Gulf funds
A portion of a $160m loan from the UAE and Saudi Arabia will fund two new processing factories, as well as ice machines for fishing vessels.
Energy
“The first country in South Asia to achieve 100% electricity access”
Mohamed Lamaan
Acting Managing Director of FENAKA Corporation
Logistics
“Immense potential” in warehouse solutions, says top logistics firm
Warehousing solutions are in high demand due to an intrinsically challenging geography, says top logistics firm Centurion Group, the first Maldivian...
Industry
Greater Malé Industrial Zone spawns new construction and logistics backbone
Consisting of the two islands of Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi, the Greater Malé Industrial Zone will be the site of the country’s largest industrial...
Economy
“There are about 23 new resorts coming up, adding 4,000 beds in total”
Abdulla Jihad
Vice President of the Republic of the Maldives
Finance
“We’ve had a 110% growth in clients for Shariah-complaint mortgages over the past year”
Raheema Saleem
Managing Director of the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC)
Tourism
“The Maldives has become a competition among tourism investors around the globe”
Mohamed Haris
Acting Managing Director of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC)
Tourism
“There is no where else in the world where you can come out of the sea and start ice skating”
Amit Majumder
General Manager of Jumeirah Vittaveli
Tourism
“Vakkaru is a new luxury brand settling confidently into the Maldives”
Wicus Prinsloo
General Manger of Vakkaru
Tourism
“The Conrad Hilton is the first resort in the Maldives to have an undersea villa”
Stefano Ruzza
General Manager of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Aviation
“The airport upgrade is the largest investment project that has ever been undertaken in the Maldives”
Adil Moosa
Managing Director of the Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL)
Tourism
“ In luxury tourism, respect for the environment is essential”
Jan Tibaldi
General Manager of One&Only Reethi Rah
Industry
“GMIZL will support the development of the new port at Thilafushi”
Ahmed Nasif
Managing Director of the Greater Malé Industrial Zone Ltd.
Real Estate & Construction
“By 2019, we’ll be able to move 10,000 families out of Malé”
Mohamed Muizzu
Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
Finance
“In 2017, we had the lowest fiscal deficit in 10 years, at 2% of GDP”
Ahmed Munawar
Minister of Finance and Treasury of the Maldives
Finance
“We crossed over $1b in market capitalization this year”
Aushan Latheef
CEO of Maldives Stock Exchange
Telecom & IT
“Dhiraagu has made tremendous progress in bringing the latest services to the entire country”
Ismail Rasheed
CEO and Managing Director of Dhiraagu
Agriculture & Fisheries
“The Maldives is the only MSC-certified country that’s exclusively pole and line”
Adley Ismail
CEO of Maldives Industrial Fisheries Co. Ltd (MIFCO)
Energy
“We hope to have 30% of daily energy demand met by renewables”
Thoriq Ibrahim
Minister of Environment and Energy
Economy
Building the dream
The Maldives is being reimagined, with smart cities and industrial hubs literally rising from the sand and sea.
Economy
Women ride rising tide of gender equity
More female leaders are in positions of power than ever before, challenging traditional views of the role of women in the Muslim Indian Ocean nation....
Economy
“The government has reserved a one-third quota for women serving on boards”
Aishath Rafiyya
Deputy Leader of Maldives Development Alliance
Economy
GCC “engaged” in Maldivian development
Abdullah Hamed
Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait
Tourism
“Over 40 years of sustained tourism growth”
Haris Mohamed
Acting Managing Director, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC)
Finance
“Creating an Islamic finance capital”
Abdulla Jihad
Vice President and Former Minister of Finance and Treasury
Tourism
A business doing leisure
The private and public sectors are marketing the natural beauty and traditional hospitality of the Maldives to travellers from around the world.
Diplomacy
“An ambitious transformative course”
Message from the President of the Republic of Maldives, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom
Tourism
Sailing towards a 7.5 million tourism horizon
Expansion of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is "top priority," a project necessary to boost arrivals by 6 million in two years.
Aviation
Major upgrades gear airport for new heights
Gulf investors solidify their legacy by modernizing the maldives' international airport.
Telecom & IT
A thriving Gulf-Maldivian joint venture
Ismail Rasheed
CEO and MD of Dhiraagu
Tourism
A history of hospitality
Ahmed Siyam Mohamed
Chairman of Sun Siyam
Transport
“MRDC has been awarded public projects worth $13 million”
Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem
Managing Director of Maldives Road Development Corporation
Finance
“Privatization with purpose”
Ahmed Siraj
Secretary General of Privatization and Corporation Board
Finance
“Inherent demand” propels Islamic finance
With a 100-percent Muslim population, the Maldives is seen as a natural location to develop Islamic finance.
Agriculture & Fisheries
The social dimension of the Maldivian sea
The Maldives emphasises social sustainability within its sea policy.
Real Estate & Construction
“More than a smart city, Hulhumalé will be the best place to live in the Maldives”
Mohamed Saiman
Managing Director of Housing Development Corporation (HDC)
Agriculture & Fisheries
Sea of opportunity
Policymakers take steps to promote the artisanal and halal-certified fish produce of the Maldives to the gulf region and beyond.
Agriculture & Fisheries
“Our fisheries are small but premium”
Dr. Mohamed Shainee
Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture
Energy
“FENAKA supplies electricity around the clock to 65% of the Maldives”
Mohamed Nimal
Managing Director of FENAKA
Energy
STELCO eyes floating solar station
Abdul Shakoor
Managing Director of State Electric Company (STELCO)
Real Estate & Construction
“Maldivian companies conduct 95% of the country’s construction”
Mohamed Ali Janah
Chairman of Hotels and Resort Construction (HRC) and President of the Maldives Association of the Construction Industry
Diplomacy
A tale of two Maldives
Economy
Young republic comes of age
The Maldives Celebrates 50 years of independence, and achieves remarkable economic development
Tourism
Chinese dominated tourism sector evolves to offer more choice
New island multi-ownership regulation enables diverse scales of investment
Diplomacy
“Maldives-China relationship continues to grow stronger”
DUNYA MAUMOON
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Diplomacy
Old friends, new ties
As they renew their historic friendship, the Maldives and China are cooperating on a host of projects, paving the way for large investments
Tourism
Transformative mega projects fuel Maldives’ future
Five flagship projects serve as pillars for economic transformation
Transport
Chinese firms contribute to the international airport expansion
International airport grows and adapts to increased tourism arrivals
Economy
Long-term partnerships key to unlocking transformative ‘Youth City’
A $5 billion investment package that aims to create jobs as youth unemployment rises
Transport
Island hopping by seaplane
Economy
“This government is opening its doors to welcome FDI.”
MOHAMED SAEED
Minister of Economic Development
Economy
“Maldives now has a truly competitive business environment”
Ahmed Shaheer
Managing Director of State Trading Organization (STO)
Tourism
Step inside one of the world’s most lavish and exclusive resorts
Hoteliers at LVMH have built a resort that is redefining what an exclusive, high-end holiday experience in the Maldives means
Tourism
“We like to focus on steady and long-term developments.”
Ahmed Shabeer
Chairman of Sunland Hotels
Telecom & IT
“Maldivians are eager to embrace new technologies.”
Ismail Waheed
Managing Director of Dhiraagu
Tourism
“The Maldives offers one of the best returns on investment in the world.”
Ismail Faseeh
CEO of Seahouse
Tourism
Tourism in the Maldives offers a diverse portfolio of investment
A premier capital management firm takes key capital stakes in the Maldives tourism industry
Tourism
Discover the Maldives on a budget
Affordable tourism is set to increase arrivals after 'guesthouse' policy opens new islands