Nasheed Proposes Economic Trade Route Linking Addu, Kenya and Jakarta

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has proposed establishing an economic trade route connecting Addu Atoll with Kenya and Indonesia, envisioning what he described as a “Green Economic Corridor” across the Indian Ocean.

Nasheed said Addu’s greatest advantage lies in its geographical position at the centre of the Indian Ocean, with Africa on one side and Southeast Asian economies such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore on the other. He noted that the Indian Ocean is a major global shipping route and argued that Addu is strategically positioned to benefit from this traffic.

“I believe the ideal starting point for this corridor would be Mombasa in Kenya, coming through to Addu, and concluding in Jakarta, Indonesia,” Nasheed said, adding that the logic of the proposal becomes clear when viewed on a map of the Indian Ocean.

Addu aai gulhey baeh vaahaka. pic.twitter.com/wTFYzIukdh— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) March 2, 2026

Under the proposal, Addu would be developed into a transshipment port. Smaller vessels would transport containers from the Port of Mombasa to Addu, where goods would be stationed. Similarly, cargo from Jakarta would be brought to Addu and held before ships return carrying goods from the opposite end of the route.

Nasheed said the corridor would be branded as “green” because it would rely on renewable energy and operate with strong environmental safeguards. “Everything should be powered by renewable energy, and no activities should proceed without careful consideration for the environment,” he said.

He also revealed that he recently met with Kenyan President William Ruto and shared the proposal. According to Nasheed, Ruto expressed interest and instructed his ministers to explore steps toward conducting a feasibility study.Nasheed said he would next seek cooperation from relevant Maldivian authorities as well as officials in Jakarta to advance discussions on the proposed trade corridor.