News Desk
MALE’ — PayPal services went live in the Maldives on Monday, ending years of restricted access to one of the world’s most widely used payment platforms and allowing Maldivian freelancers, creators and small businesses to receive international payments for the first time through a fully integrated system.
The service was launched at a ceremony at Barcelo hotel in Male’, attended by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade Mohamed Saeed, and senior representatives from PayPal and Ooredoo. The integration has been built through Ooredoo Maldives via its Ooredoo mFaisaa platform, following what the Ministry of Economic Development described as extensive high-level discussions between the government and PayPal.
President Muizzu, speaking at the ceremony, described the launch as the fulfilment of a promise he made before taking office.
“I remember the conversations we had about the challenges you faced,” he told creators and young entrepreneurs in the room. “You spoke to me with incredible passion about your designs, art, and your businesses. But you also spoke of a deep and exhausting frustration.”
He said the barrier had been structural, not a reflection of Maldivian capability. “You could send payments abroad, but you could not fully receive them. You could buy from the world, but you could not easily sell your talents to the world. Your ambition was consistently held back by systemic barriers that had absolutely nothing to do with your capability. That era of artificial limitations ends today.”
The president framed the launch as part of a broader digital transformation agenda under what his administration calls Maldives 2.0, a whole-of-government policy coordinated directly through the President’s Office. He said the target is for the digital economy to contribute at least 15 percent to national GDP by 2030.
He pointed to a submarine cable agreement with Google, the Dhivaru project, as related infrastructure secured during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in 2024. “We conveyed a clear message: the Maldives is ready to host some of the world’s most advanced digital infrastructure and to serve as a trusted hub in the global digital landscape.”
President Muizzu also announced that a Creator Hub building in Male’ is under construction and is expected to open on 11 November this year, offering production studios and co-working spaces. He said regional facilities are also being built, including a lacquer work training centre in Baa Thulhaadhoo and handicraft centres in Gaafu Dhaalu Gadhdhoo.
In practical terms, he said the PayPal integration means a guesthouse operator can now receive deposits directly from international travellers, a dive school can secure overseas bookings, a local artisan can sell products abroad, and a freelance developer can receive payment for international work directly into their account.
“Geography will never again limit your economic destiny,” he said.
Minister Mohamed Saeed, speaking at the same event, said the integration was the direct result of work undertaken by President Muizzu since he assumed the presidency in November 2023. He said it removes a long-standing barrier to Maldivian participation in the global digital economy and that physical scale and archipelagic geography would no longer limit the country’s global reach.
The ministry’s press statement said the integration strengthens the resilience of the national economy, opens new avenues for Maldivian products in international trade, and creates a new channel for foreign exchange inflows. The Maldives last year welcomed more than 2.25 million visitors and generated over $5.6 billion in tourism revenue. President Muizzu said the digital economy must now grow alongside tourism rather than remain dependent on it.
President Muizzu declared 2026 the National Year of Productivity. “I want Maldivians to envision a future where unique products from every single corner of our country are sold directly to the global marketplace. Whether it is an exquisite piece of traditional lacquer work crafted in the North, a sustainable agricultural product grown in the South, a designer working from Addu, or a digital innovator in Male’, Maldivian excellence must seamlessly enter the international economy.”
PayPal’s Asia-Pacific Vice President Amir Valliani attended the launch, along with Ooredoo Maldives Managing Director and CEO Shadi Qawasmi, Ooredoo Group Regional CEO Ahmad Al Naema, and Ooredoo Fintech International CEO Mirko Giacco.
