Male’ Commercial Harbour to Relocate to Thilafushi on 11 November 2027, President Says

The commercial harbour in Male’ will be relocated to Thilafushi on 11 November 2027, President Mohamed Muizzu announced today.

Delivering his annual presidential address at the Parliament, President Muizzu said the Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) would hand over construction works for a 125-metre international quay wall today, described as the most significant component of the first phase of the port relocation project.

He said contracts for the remaining works — including a two-kilometre quay wall, paving, construction of buildings and procurement of equipment — would be awarded to various parties by the middle of this year. According to the President, all works are scheduled to be completed in time for the full relocation of the commercial port to Thilafushi by November next year.

President Muizzu said the relocation would significantly improve cargo handling efficiency, reducing the clearance time for goods from up to seven days to within 48 hours. He added that the changes would also allow for longer storage periods at the port and lower transportation costs for imported goods.

He said these efficiencies are expected to contribute to lower prices for goods, benefiting the public. As part of the relocation, warehouses currently located across Malé and wholesale businesses operating in the market area would be moved to Thilafushi.

The President noted that the new location would make it easier for cargo vessels to dock, reduce waiting times for loading and unloading, and speed up the distribution of goods to islands across the country.

He also said the move would resolve long-standing issues caused by the dispersal of warehouses across the capital, easing congestion in the busy market and MPL areas and improving traffic flow.

Plans to relocate the commercial port to Thilafushi were first discussed around seven years ago and have featured in the agendas of successive governments. However, the project was not implemented.

The administration of former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had announced plans to relocate the commercial port and develop an international port at Gulhifalhu, but the current government has since revised the plan, opting instead to relocate the port to Thilafushi.