The President made the remarks in an interview with local media during his visit to Thilafushi to review the progress of the port relocation project.
The President's Office
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has described the relocation of Malé’s commercial harbour to Thilafushi as a key driver of economic growth, with the project expected to boost productivity, expand trade capacity and support business development.
The President made the remarks in an interview with local media during his visit to Thilafushi to review the progress of the port relocation project. He was welcomed to the site by Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) Chief Executive Officer Captain Hussain Shafeeq.
President Dr Muizzu said the project was progressing successfully through the coordinated efforts of Government institutions and external partners. He expressed his appreciation to the ministries, companies, their leadership and staff for their dedicated work and continued efforts to advance the project.
During the visit, MPL officials briefed the President on the progress of construction at the new port. The project is a key Government priority and will establish a larger port with expanded facilities at Thilafushi. The President reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to commencing commercial port operations at the new site by November next year.
Construction of the first 100 metres of the inner harbour’s quay wall has been completed, while land levelling and road construction continue. Approximately 40 per cent of the inner harbour backfilling has also been completed. Meanwhile, the production of precast concrete blocks for the quay wall and the procurement of essential machinery and equipment are progressing. The process of selecting a contractor for the construction of the terminal buildings is also under way.
The new port will cover 60 hectares and initially have the capacity to handle 390,000 TEUs annually. Upon completion of the full project, this capacity is expected to increase to 1.8 million TEUs per year. The port will feature a 375-metre quay wall, with a depth of 14.6 metres, to accommodate international container vessels. The quay wall is designed to be extended to 1.4 kilometres as the project progresses.
The new port will also feature a dedicated domestic quay wall extending over approximately two kilometres. The establishment of a 375-metre international container quay wall is projected to reduce vessel turnaround times to approximately two days, a significant improvement from the current duration of 7 to 14 days required for loading and unloading operations at the Malé Commercial Harbour. Upon its opening, the harbour will be equipped with two ship-to-shore (STS) quay cranes and one mobile harbour crane.
