'Dhivaru' is a new Trans-Indian Ocean subsea cable system that will connect the Maldives, Christmas Island and Oman. According to Google, the investment will build on the Australia Connect initiative, furthering the reach, reliability, and resilience of digital connectivity across the Indian Ocean.
President's Office
On 17 November 2025, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu took to X to announce Google’s decision to invest in the Maldives, marking a decisive moment in the nation’s rise as a regional digital powerhouse. This statement was reiterated by Google through a formal press release, where they announced 'Dhivaru', a new Trans-Indian Ocean subsea cable system that will connect the Maldives, Christmas Island and Oman. According to Google, the investment will build on the Australia Connect initiative, furthering the reach, reliability, and resilience of digital connectivity across the Indian Ocean.
Reach, reliability and resilience are integral to the success of AI-driven services for our users and customers. Tremendous adoption of groundbreaking services such as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (aka Nano Banana) and Vertex AI mean resilient connectivity has never been more important for our users. The speed of AI adoption is also outpacing anyone’s predictions, and Google is investing to meet this long-term demand.
According to the statement, “Dhivaru” is the line that controls the main sail on traditional Maldivian sailing vessels, and signifies the skill, strength, and experience of the early sailors navigating the seas.
In addition to the cable investment, Google will be investing in creating two new connectivity hubs for the region. The Maldives and Christmas Island are naturally positioned for connectivity hubs to help improve digital connectivity for the region, including Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Oceania.
Google’s decision to invest in the Maldives is a strong signal of confidence in our country’s stable and open investment environment, and a direct contribution to my vision for a diversified, inclusive, and digitised Maldivian economy. As the world moves rapidly toward an era defined by digital transformation and artificial intelligence, this project reflects how the Maldives is positioning itself at the crossroads of global connectivity — leveraging our strategic geography to create new economic opportunities for our people and to participate meaningfully in the future of the global economy.
According to Google, connectivity hubs are strategic investments designed to future-proof regional connectivity and accelerate the delivery of next-generation services through three core capabilities: Cable switching, content caching, and colocation.
The announcement was supported by Ooredoo Maldives, as its CEO and MD, Khalid Al Hamadi, announced the group is delighted to partner with Google on this landmark initiative to establish a new connectivity hub in the Maldives.
In addition to Ooredoo Maldives, Dhiraagu also showcased their support.
Dhiraagu is committed to advancing the digital connectivity of the Maldives and empowering our people, communities, and businesses. Over the years, we have made significant investments in building robust subsea cable systems — transforming the digital landscape — connecting the Maldives to the rest of the world and enabling the rollout of high-speed broadband across the nation. We are proud and excited to partner with Google on their expansion of subsea infrastructure and the establishment of a new connectivity hub in Addu City, the southernmost city of the Maldives. This strategic collaboration with one of the world’s largest tech players marks another milestone in strengthening the nation’s presence within the global subsea infrastructure and further enhances the reliability and resiliency of our digital ecosystem.
