Galolhu Football Stadium to Be Demolished, Redeveloped as Public Space: Minister

The Maldives’ national football stadium will be relocated from Galolhu to Hulhumalé Phase One to provide better public access and meet international standards, and the previous arena will be redeveloped into a public area Sports Minister Abdulla Rafiu has announced. 

Speaking to Public Service Media (PSM), Rafiu said that while Galolhu holds historical significance for Maldivian football, it is unsuitable for an international-standard stadium due to safety concerns, traffic congestion, limited parking, and its location within a densely populated area.

“The government has therefore decided to develop the national stadium in Hulhumalé Phase One, where it can meet international safety and security standards and allow better management of traffic and public access,” he said.

Land has already been allocated in the southern part of Hulhumalé Phase One for the new stadium. Once the Galolhu ground is cleared, the site will be redeveloped into a public space while continuing to support sports activities.

The Youth Ministry under the previous administration had unveiled proposed designs for the redevelopment of Galolhu National Stadium. Former Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof had said the stadium would be demolished and rebuilt, with funding included in the 2022 national budget and support from a USD 40 million line of credit from India’s EXIM Bank dedicated to sports infrastructure. He had earlier said the project would cost MVR 385.5 million and that construction would begin in 2022. However, the government’s term ended without any progress on the project.

The southern and eastern bleachers of the current stadium were temporarily closed to the public due to structural safety concerns.