The long-abandoned water theme park in Hulhumalé will finally be completed within the next 18 months, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced.
Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office today, the President said the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has handed the project to a developer, and work is set to begin very soon.
He said that at the last Cabinet meeting, HDC’s Managing Director assured him the park could be completed within a year to a year and a half at most. Of all the stalled projects in the country, the President said, the water theme park is one that will become a reality very quickly.
The park sits on a large plot at the end of Nirolhu Magu in Hulhumalé Phase 1. Plans include water slides for children and adults, a kids’ pool, bumper boats, water houses, a water roller coaster, water gyros, aqua loops, a fountain square and a lazy river. An overwater restaurant, an overwater spa and a hotel are also planned.
The project dates back to 13 July 2017, when HDC signed a USD 25 million agreement with Malaysia’s Miri Housing Development to build the park and a six-storey hotel, leasing the land for 35 years. The project was later transferred to Waterfront Hotel and Leisure Company.
Although much of the concrete work was finished, construction ground to a halt around 2020. In August 2022, HDC terminated the agreement over inadequate progress, and the dispute ended up in court. The Anti-Corruption Commission also looked into how the project was awarded.
For years since, the half-built structure has stood unused on one of the largest single plots in Hulhumalé.
In December 2024, HDC told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that it would revive the project, with the design work given to a Sri Lankan firm.
The President also said work has started on a bowling arena in Hulhumalé, and that indoor futsal and netball complexes are next. A sports complex and a go-kart arena are planned for Hulhumalé Phases 1 and 2 and are set to open during this term. An arcade, an indoor children’s play centre and e-gaming centres in Malé are expected by the end of next year.
