The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure (MCHI) on Thursday invited Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for a major infrastructure project linking Thaa Atoll Kinbidhoo and Thaa Atoll Veymandoo via a causeway. In addition, the government plans to develop Thaa Atoll Elaa as an integrated tourism island.
According to the gazetted notice, the proposed causeway will span 3 to 3.3 kilometres, aiming to improve regional connectivity, shorten travel time, enhance access to essential services, and stimulate local economic development.
The government seeks private sector participation in the project through financing models such as cross-subsidisation, public-private partnerships (PPPs), contractor financing, or loan-based funding—without any direct government investment.
MCHI stated that investors may choose from four financing options:
- Full Development Model: covering both reclamation and construction, in exchange for commercial use rights to designated lagoons;
- Construction-Only Model: involving the development of all facilities, excluding reclamation, in return for development rights;
- Hybrid Model: combining partial construction and reclamation with commercial lagoon use rights;
- Operational Management Option: allowing investors to operate parts of the facility to support sustainability, with the potential for rent offsets to aid cost recovery.
Key components of the project include:
- Climate-resilient causeway construction
- Coastal protection infrastructure
- Internal road networks on Thaa Atoll Elaa and road upgrades on Kinbidhoo and Veymandoo
- Development of Thaa Atoll Elaa with environmentally sensitive tourism infrastructure
Interested parties must demonstrate both technical and financial capacity and submit all required documentation by 30 June 2025. Only shortlisted applicants will advance to the next stage of the project.
This initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to consolidate development and promote equitable growth across Thaa Atoll.
