- The relocation of Malé's commercial harbour to Thilafushi aims to cut cargo vessel turnaround times to roughly two days, down from the current seven to 14 days, with commercial operations targeted for November 2027.
- The 60-hectare port will initially handle 390,000 TEUs annually, scaling up to 1.8 million TEUs, and feature a 375-metre international container quay extendable to 1.4 kilometres.
- President Dr Muizzu reviewed construction progress, which includes the first 100 metres of the inner harbour quay wall and 40 per cent of its backfilling, and credited coordination between Government institutions and external partners.
The planned relocation of Malé’s commercial harbour to Thilafushi is expected to shorten cargo vessel turnaround times and expand the Maldives’ capacity to handle trade, with the Government targeting the start of commercial operations by November 2027.
The new port’s international container quay is projected to reduce loading and unloading times to approximately two days, compared with the seven to 14 days currently required at Malé Commercial Harbour. Faster cargo handling could help ease delays for businesses importing goods into the country.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu visited the construction site to review progress and receive a briefing from Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) officials. He was welcomed by MPL Chief Executive Officer Captain Hussain Shafeeq.
Speaking to local media during the visit, President Dr Muizzu said the relocation would support economic growth by improving productivity, expanding trade capacity and creating opportunities for business development. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to opening the port by the November 2027 target.
The 60-hectare port will initially have capacity to handle 390,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. Capacity is expected to reach 1.8 million TEUs a year upon completion of the full project.
Plans include a 375-metre international container quay with a depth of 14.6 metres to accommodate international container vessels. The quay is designed for extension to 1.4 kilometres as development progresses. A separate domestic quay will extend approximately two kilometres.
At opening, the port is expected to operate with two ship-to-shore quay cranes and one mobile harbour crane.
Construction has so far completed the first 100 metres of the inner harbour quay wall and approximately 40 per cent of its backfilling. Land levelling and road construction remain under way, alongside the production of precast concrete blocks and procurement of machinery and equipment. A contractor is also being selected to build the terminal buildings.
President Dr Muizzu attributed the project’s progress to coordination between Government institutions and external partners, and thanked the ministries, companies and staff involved.
