President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced the completion of the HA. Dhidhdhoo land reclamation project, confirming that 112 hectares of new land have been created within a rapid 50-day timeframe.
According to the President’s update, the dredger arrived on 03 January 2026, with reclamation works commencing on 04 January and concluding on 23 February 2026. A total of 5,492,089 cubic metres of sand were dredged and deposited to expand the island’s landmass.
HA. Dhidhoo reclamation completed.
Details of project:
Dredger Arrival : 03rd January 2026
Reclamation started: 04th January 2026
Reclamation Completed: 23rd February 2026
Total duration: 50 Days
Total Hectares: 112Ha
Total Volume: 5,492,089.00 cbm pic.twitter.com/gUECROcxw1— Dr Mohamed Muizzu (@MMuizzu) February 23, 2026
The reclamation was executed by the Maldives Airports Company Limited as part of the Dhidhdhoo airport development initiative. The dredging operation was carried out by the Leiv Eiriksson, a Luxembourg based trailing suction hopper dredger measuring 223 metres in length and 41 metres in width. The vessel has a daily extraction capacity of approximately 46,000 cubic metres of sand, enabling accelerated land formation at scale.
The airport construction contract was awarded on April 19, 2024 to the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company, which is tasked with delivering the next phase of infrastructure works following completion of reclamation.
Dhidhdhoo, the capital of Haa Alif Atoll, is a strategic northern centre. The expanded land will facilitate airport infrastructure, housing expansion and long term economic growth, reinforcing the administration’s policy of decentralised development and strengthened regional connectivity.
With land formation now complete, focus shifts to vertical development and airport construction, advancing one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the northern Maldives.
