60 percent of Ras Malé reclamation project completed since 2023, confirms President Muizzu

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that 60 percent of the land reclamation for Ras Malé, a project launched in 2023, has been completed to date.

Physical reclamation work on the Fushidhiggaru Falhu project commenced on December 18, 2023. At the time, President Muizzu repeatedly stated that the reclamation would be completed within eight months to develop the city under the name 'Ras Malé.' However, the project has since faced significant delays, with work remaining stalled for an extended period.

Speaking on the state media program "Nation Chat" on Thursday night, President Muizzu announced that 60 percent of the Ras Malé land reclamation project has now been completed. The President further noted that opportunities have already been opened for those seeking housing within the new city.

Furthermore, President Muizzu addressed the status of the "Gedhoruveriya" flats, a housing project where all structural work—excluding finishing touches—had been completed during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

He stated that the current administration was responsible for completing a significant percentage of the project.

I have commenced the reclamation of Ras Malé, following the completion of nearby reclamation projects. This includes both Ras Malé and Uthuru Thila Falhu. Currently, approximately 60 percent of the Ras Malé reclamation project has been completed. God willing, we will proceed until the work is finalized. We have opened a housing scheme for those seeking land plots there, and applications are currently being submitted. The deadline for these applications is the end of this month. My objective is to ensure that land plots are handed over only after the reclamation is complete, unlike the previous administration, which allocated plots regardless of whether the land had been reclaimed. Furthermore, we focused on handing over the flats initiated by the previous government. When we took office, the 4,000 housing units under the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation remained unfinished, with approximately 70 percent of the work still outstanding. We have since completed those projects and moved tenants into all the flats, honoring the allocation list established by the previous administration.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu

Furthermore, President Muizzu also highlighted several land reclamation projects.

President Muizzu stated that the current administration has reclaimed more than 1,100 hectares of land to date.

In terms of land reclamation alone, over 1,100 hectares have already been reclaimed across approximately 21 different islands. Naturally, a significant portion of this is attributed to the Ras Malé project, where nearly 500 hectares have been completed so far. The remaining 500-plus hectares comprise reclamation projects across various other islands. The purpose of these reclamation efforts is to address the critical shortage of land, which hinders infrastructure development, housing opportunities, and essential projects like airport construction. While these are high-cost undertakings, they remain vital from the perspective of long-term sustainable development.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu

Despite President Muizzu’s assertions that numerous development projects are underway, many citizens contend that development across the Maldives has come to a standstill. Residents are expressing growing concern over the suspension of various initiatives in the atolls, specifically citing stalled harbor construction, as well as water and sewerage projects.