News Desk
MALE’, Maldives — President Dr. Mohammed Muizzu announced Sunday that three significant land reclamation projects — Gulhifalhu, Hulhumale’ Phase 3, and Giravaru — will be completed by 2025, showcasing his administration’s commitment to expanding the archipelago nation’s territory.
Speaking at a government achievement presentation marking his administration’s first anniversary at the Social Center in Male’, President. Muizzu detailed the progress of each project, which were initially launched during former President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih’s tenure.
The Gulhifalhu project has seen substantial advancement, with the current administration building upon the 44 percent completion rate inherited from their predecessors. “We have now completed the targeted reclamation area,” President Muizzu said. He added that contracts for dredging the lagoon’s deepest sections would be awarded “very soon,” with full completion expected next year.
In Hulhumale’ Phase 3, progress has more than doubled since the transition of power. The project, which was at 17 percent completion when President Muizzu took office, has now reached 38 percent. “The remaining land will be dredged within the next six months,” the President assured.
The Giravaru lagoon project has also shown improvement, advancing from 19 percent to 33 percent completion during the current administration’s first year. However, Mr. Muizzu expressed concerns about the existing agreements with foreign contractors for this particular project.
“The project has made a lot of concessions to give land to the foreign party, and it was a messy agreement,” President Muizzu said, addressing the Giravaru situation. “We are working to get out of it. Our aim is to make it more feasible and beneficial to the people.”
The President confirmed that once reclamation work is completed at all three sites, the government will proceed with allocating and distributing land plots that were previously earmarked by the former administration.
These ambitious projects represent a significant expansion of usable land in the Maldives, a nation grappling with space constraints due to its unique geography as a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean.
