President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu government has unveiled a sweeping package of financial and regulatory concessions aimed at expanding resort tourism across underdeveloped atolls—Haa Alif, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Laamu and Addu City. The move seeks to deliver on his campaign promise and fulfil commitments made in his presidential manifesto and Parliamentary address earlier this year.
At the core of the policy reform are substantial reductions in lease premiums under key tourism leasing regulations 2016/R‑69 and 2022/R‑125. Measures include:
- Eliminating location premiums for islands and lagoons in the specified atolls, plus reducing premiums in Laamu from US $150,000 to $100,000.
- Implementing a 30% cut in lagoon premiums across the same regions.
- Waiving size-based premiums for 20–40 hectare islands, and reducing charges from $2 million to $1 million for larger islands.
Additional investor-friendly incentives include:
- Grace-period rent deferments for resorts developed and opened within the bidding grace window.
- An enhanced 15% duty-free allowance—now covering furniture, kitchen appliances, electronics, and guest amenities.
- Flexible, instalment-based payments for lease fees for open-bid properties.
The government also confirmed 31 projects—encompassing open bidding, closed bidding, and halal tourism models—will be launched in Haa Alif, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Laamu, Addu, and other atolls. Each atoll is slated to host a flagship “halal tourism” project, targeting one per region. Closed bidding rounds will allocate:
- Haa Alif (2), Haa Dhaalu (5), Shaviyani (3), Laamu (2), Baa (3), Lhaviyani (3), Alif Alif (5), Alif Dhaal (3), Vaavu (2), and Meemu (1).
These incentives are designed to stimulate private investment, create employment opportunities, and diversify economic activity in remote atolls—reducing tourism dependency on central atolls and supporting sustainable, region-wide growth. According to the Ministry of Tourism, these areas are selected due to their low current pace of resort development—a move expected to rebalance regional development.
Investors are advised to monitor the Ministry’s forthcoming guidelines, expected to provide detailed bidding frameworks, lease pricing tiers, and infrastructure timelines. Meanwhile, the government plans to invest in road networks, transportation services, and utilities in target atolls—laying groundwork to support new developments .
As the Maldives seeks regional balance and sectoral diversification, today’s policy changes mark a decisive shift in its tourism strategy—ushering in a new phase of inclusive, sustainable growth.
