Maldives Opens Bids for 15 Island Resorts Featuring Dedicated Halal Tourism Developments
- The Maldives Ministry of Tourism has opened bidding for 15 resort developments across six atolls, offering 50-year leases with a three-year construction window.
- Three sites are earmarked exclusively for Halal tourism, requiring strict Islamic compliance, gender-separated wellness services, and two separate mosques per island.
- Import duty concessions of 15 per cent for standard resorts and 20 per cent for Halal developments incentivise bidders, with deadlines between 17 and 23 November 2026.
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has officially opened bidding for 15 new resort developments across six atolls in the Maldives. These latest tenders introduce dedicated Halal tourism projects alongside traditional island resorts, expanding the country’s hospitality offerings. Under the terms of the individual announcements, the government is granting 50-year leases for the designated locations, giving successful developers a three-year window to complete construction.
As part of the package, the ministry has earmarked three specific sites exclusively for Halal tourism developments. These comprise a 200-hectare lagoon site at Makunudhoo Reef in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, requiring a minimum of 150 beds, as well as land plots in Laamu Atoll Fonagadhoo and Seenu Atoll Dhonherai, each requiring at least 100 beds. Developers operating these properties must strictly adhere to Islamic principles by prohibiting alcohol and pork, serving certified Halal food, and offering separate wellness services for men and women. The ministry also requires operators to construct two separate mosques on each of these islands to serve guests and staff independently.
Beyond the Halal tourism initiative, the government is tendering ten northern lagoon zones across Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, and Shaviyani atolls. Each of these lagoon plots covers 200 hectares, with lease acquisition costs ranging between USD 1.5 million and USD 2.1 million, and requires a minimum resort capacity of 150 beds. Additionally, the ministry has reopened bidding for two uninhabited islands, Shaviyani Nalandhoo and Noonu Farumuli. Nalandhoo, which previously failed to move forward under long-term fisheries leases, now requires bidders to demonstrate financial capacity of at least $10 million for a minimum 200-bed resort, while Farumuli carries a USD 2.25 million acquisition cost for a minimum 150-bed resort.
To incentivise prospective developers, the government is introducing import duty reductions on materials brought in for construction. Standard resort projects will receive a 15 per cent discount on import duties, whilst Halal tourism developments will benefit from an increased 20 per cent concession. Bidding deadlines across the individual projects fall between 17 November and 23 November 2026.
