News Desk
MALE’ — In a wide‑ranging address to young people gathered for the National Youth Conference, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu outlined one of the most sweeping digital transformation agendas the Maldives has attempted in years, setting a target to raise the digital economy to 15 percent of GDP by 2030.
The remarks came during a casual “Youth Coffee with President” session at the close of the conference, though the policy signals were anything but casual. The President cast the country’s young population as the driving force of the shift, arguing that no meaningful reform can take root without their direct involvement in decision‑making.
A Digital Dream to Cleanse Corruption: President Muizzu’s Maldives 2.0
“Youth are the most important partners in the development of the country today and tomorrow,” he told the audience, adding that the government intends to expand pathways for young people working in creative and technology‑driven fields.
At the centre of the plan is a new national program branded “Maldives 2.0,” which the President said would be rolled out within the next three years. Legislation enabling the initiative is expected to be introduced in the next session of the Majlis, signalling the administration’s intent to move quickly.
A major component of the overhaul is the Maldives Data Exchange View, a system designed to link information across government agencies and cut through long‑standing bureaucratic bottlenecks. By 2027, the government aims to replace every physical ID card with a digital version that would serve as the primary gateway to public services. The Maldives was among the earliest in South Asia to introduce a national ID system, and officials now frame the digital shift as the next logical step in that legacy.
The President also tied housing to the broader effort to stabilize opportunities for young Maldivians. A portion of more than 800 new housing units will be reserved for youth, he said, with additional projects in the Malé area aimed at supporting young families and newly married couples.
Throughout the session, participants of the National Youth Conference raised concerns ranging from access to training to the uneven distribution of opportunities across the islands. The President listened. Six youth groups presented their proposals, as part of a program organized with the Presidential Youth Advisory Board and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts.
The tone of the event suggested a government eager to show that its digital ambitions are not merely technical upgrades but a generational project — one that hinges on whether young Maldivians feel they have a stake in the country’s future.
