A total of 98 hectares of land have been reclaimed so far under the Giraavaru Falhu development project, according to the government, as work continues toward a larger target aimed at expanding housing capacity.
Speaking at a sitting of the People’s Majlis, Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib said the overall goal of the project is to reclaim 169 hectares of land.
The project was initially launched under the previous administration through a private contractor, with 54 hectares completed by the end of December 2023. However, progress stalled due to delays and contractual challenges faced by the company.
As a result, the government reassigned the project to Maldives Airports Company Limited, which began reclamation works on January 31 this year. Since taking over, MACL has reclaimed an additional 44 hectares, bringing the total completed area to 98 hectares.
Minister Muththalib said the remaining reclamation is expected to be completed by May 31, signaling the project’s entry into its final phase.
He also addressed changes to the original land allocation plans. The initial design aimed to accommodate around 5,000 housing plots, but due to space limitations, approximately 1,000 plots have been shifted to Gulhifalhu. The process of reallocating these plots and conducting a revised draw is currently ongoing.
The Minister further clarified that land registries issued by the previous government may not be legally valid if they were allocated before the land was fully reclaimed. He noted that under existing regulations, official registries can only be issued once reclamation is complete.
According to the government, a revised Land Use Plan has now been published, and the necessary allocation processes have been completed. Authorities plan to proceed with issuing registries and handing over plots to beneficiaries once the reclamation work is fully finalized.
