President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that Hankede in Addu City will be developed as a new tourism destination, shifting the project under the Ministry of Tourism and Environment.
The President formalised the decision through Presidential Decree 25/2025, issued today, repealing the previous designation of Hankede as a tourism real estate development project zone. That status had been granted to the Maldives Fund Management Corporation under Presidential Decree 8/2021, issued on 2 December 2021.
With the repeal, the area will now be managed by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, which will oversee its dedicated development for the industry. The move is aimed at expediting efforts to establish Hankede as a major tourism venture in the southernmost atoll of the Maldives.
The government has previously stated its intention to accelerate large-scale tourism projects in the southern region, positioning Addu as a hub that can contribute to the expansion and diversification of the country’s tourism sector.
