The government has opened investment opportunities for the development of 15 new resorts across six atolls, including properties planned under a halal tourism model and several large-scale lagoon developments.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation announced the opportunities through four separate tender notices, covering locations in Haa Alif, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu and Laamu atolls, as well as Addu City.
A significant portion of the new opportunities involves lagoon reclamation, with investors invited to develop resorts in designated lagoons across Haa Alif, Haa Dhaalu and Shaviyani atolls.
The properties include Maadhuni Lagoon 1, 2 and 3 in Haa Alif Atoll; Makunudhoo Lagoon 2 and Maafaru Lagoon 1, 2 and 3 in Haa Dhaalu Atoll; and Gonaa Lagoon 1, 2 and 3 in Shaviyani Atoll.
Some of the lagoon areas offered for development extend to as much as 200 hectares, providing scope for comparatively large tourism projects. Investors interested in these opportunities have until November 18 to submit their bids.
Separate opportunities have also been announced as part of efforts to develop halal tourism in the Maldives.
Under the model, the ministry is seeking an investor to develop a resort with at least 150 beds at Makunudhoo Lagoon in Haa Dhaalu Atoll.
Laamu Fonagaadhoo has also been offered for the development of a 100-bed halal tourism resort, while another project is planned at Addu Dhonhera together with an adjacent 0.85-hectare uninhabited island. The Addu development is required to have a minimum capacity of 100 beds.
Halal tourism generally refers to tourism services developed around the needs of Muslim travellers, with facilities and operations designed to comply with Islamic principles. The introduction of dedicated halal tourism properties could allow the Maldives to further diversify its tourism offering while targeting additional segments of the global Muslim travel market.
The ministry has also opened two uninhabited islands for conventional resort development: Sh. Nalandhoo and N. Farumuli.
Bids for the development of Nalandhoo must be submitted by November 23, while the deadline for proposals for Farumuli is November 17.
All properties included in the latest investment announcements will be leased for a period of 50 years.
The new tenders come as the government continues efforts to expand tourism beyond the country’s established resort regions and attract investment into areas with comparatively fewer tourism facilities.
Tourism remains the Maldives’ largest economic sector and its main source of foreign currency earnings. Resort development has traditionally been centred around the central atolls due to their proximity to Velana International Airport, although improvements to domestic airports and transport connectivity have gradually opened additional regions for tourism investment.
The latest tender round, spanning the northern, central and southern regions of the country, reflects the government’s wider push to increase tourism capacity while introducing new products and encouraging greater geographic diversification within the industry.
