The announcement seeking parties to develop and operate two tourist resorts in the lagoon of Kelaa island of Haa Alif atoll, has been canceled.

The Ministry of Tourism and Environment stated that they have decided to offer concessions for a period of 24 months to parties interested in investing and developing resorts in Haa Alif atoll, Haa Dhaal atoll, Shaviyani atoll, Thaa atoll, Laamu atoll, and southernmost Seenu atoll, as part of efforts to expand tourism in atolls where tourism is yet to be developed.

As such, to re-announce with these concessions, the bid opened on March 31, to seek parties to develop and operate a tourist resort in the area designated for tourism development in Kelaa lagoon has been canceled.

Of the two planned resorts to be developed in the lagoon, the first resort was allocated 169.3 hectares. The price set for this area was USD 2,032,110. The second resort was allocated 156.2 hectares with a set price of USD 1,996,740.

According to the previous announcement related to the project, these two resorts were to be developed with a capacity of 200 beds each. The lease period for the islands was set at 50 years.

The bid for seeking a party to develop and operate a tourist resort in Kelaa lagoon has been canceled at a time Ibrahim Shareef, the former MP for Kelaa constituency, has expressed concern that no development projects are progressing in Kelaa.

Shareef said that no projects are moving forward in Kelaa under the current administration of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and that nothing has been done regarding the lagoon resort development other than making announcements. He stated that the people are left in uncertainty regarding the project.

Several continue to raise questions about how the Muizzu administration proceeds with development projects. It has become apparent that companies signing agreements to carry out multiple development projects have no experience or have not conducted any related projects. There are ongoing allegations that some lagoons and uninhabited islands of the Maldives are being given to these companies with significant concessions.