President said reclamation of Giraavaru Lagoon would be completed by April's end; however, Minister clarifies the project is expected to conclude by May's end
The Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure has announced that the majority of the 169-hectare land reclamation project at Giraavaru Falhu is now complete, with the remaining work expected to be finalized by the end of May this year. Although the project is designated to provide 4,072 housing plots, the Minister’s timeline has sparked public concern as it indicates a delay compared to the completion date previously pledged by the President.
Minister of Construction and Infrastructure, Dr. Abdulla Muththalib. | Majlis | majlis
Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Dr. Abdulla Muththalib has stated that the reclamation of Giraavarufalhu is now expected to be completed by the end of May, despite President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s earlier assertion that the project would be finished by April.
The reclamation project at Giravarufalhu was originally designated to cover 169 hectares of land. As of the end of December 2023, a total of 54 hectares have been successfully reclaimed.
The Minister stated that the project had to be retendered to a new contractor following issues with the previous firm. Consequently, under the current administration, the work was reassigned to a new contractor, MACL, and has since resumed.
MACL commenced the project on January 31, 2026. According to the Minister, MACL has been tasked with reclaiming 97 hectares of land. The Minister noted that 44 hectares of this total had already been reclaimed as of April 9, 2026.
The Minister stated that the remaining portion of the reclamation project is estimated to be completed by May 31, 2026.
Although the Minister stated that the reclamation of land for housing plots in Giraavaru Falhu would be completed by the end of May, the President shared a post on X earlier this year indicating that the work would be fully finished and surveyed by April, with the process of handing over the plots scheduled to begin in June.
Consequently, it is noted that the deadline set by the President does not align with the deadline provided by the Minister.
A total of 4,072 land plots across four different sizes are set to be allocated from Giravarufalhu.
These include 2,605 plots of 1,250 square feet, 1,213 plots of 1,650 square feet, 253 plots of 2,050 square feet, and a single plot measuring 2,450 square feet.
The project, which was initiated during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration, had been stalled and neglected for a significant period. Expressing their concerns over the delay, individuals who were allocated land plots from Giravaru Falhu have previously held protests regarding the issue.
Many have expressed concern that President Muizzu’s administration is sidelining the allocation of land plots to beneficiaries of the "Binveriyaa" housing scheme. Critics argue that instead of prioritizing these existing projects, the government is focusing its efforts on the development of Ras Male'.
Furthermore, the land-use plan for Giravarufalhu has undergone multiple revisions, and a lottery has been conducted to determine the specific plots allocated to recipients.
President Muizzu has announced that the Giraavarufalhu land reclamation project will be completed by April, despite having previously provided numerous other deadlines for the project's conclusion.
