Thilafushi port relocation key to economic growth, President says

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said relocating Malé’s commercial harbour to Thilafushi will be a key driver of economic growth, boosting productivity, expanding trade capacity and supporting business development.

Speaking to local media during a visit to the construction site today, the President reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to starting commercial port operations at Thilafushi by November next year.

The new port is expected to significantly increase cargo capacity and shorten vessel turnaround times. Loading and unloading operations, which currently take between seven and 14 days at Malé Commercial Harbour, are projected to take approximately two days at the new facility.

The 60-hectare port will initially be able to handle 390,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. Capacity is expected to rise to 1.8 million TEUs a year upon completion of the full project.

President Muizzu said construction was progressing successfully through coordinated efforts by Government institutions and external partners. He thanked the ministries and companies involved, along with their leadership and staff, for their continued work on the project.

Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) Chief Executive Officer Captain Hussain Shafeeq welcomed the President to the site, where MPL officials briefed him on construction progress.

The first 100 metres of the inner harbour’s quay wall have been completed, along with approximately 40 per cent of the harbour’s backfilling. Land levelling and road construction are continuing.

Production of precast concrete blocks for the quay wall and procurement of essential machinery and equipment are also progressing. Contractor selection for the terminal buildings is under way.

The port will initially feature a 375-metre international container quay wall with a depth of 14.6 metres to accommodate international container vessels. The quay wall is designed to extend to 1.4 kilometres as the project advances.

A separate domestic quay wall will stretch approximately two kilometres. At opening, the port will be equipped with two ship-to-shore quay cranes and one mobile harbour crane.

The relocation is a key Government priority aimed at establishing a larger commercial port with expanded facilities at Thilafushi.