President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has described the relocation of the Malé Commercial Port to Thilafushi as a major national project aimed at expanding the Maldivian economy, increasing productivity and supporting business growth.
The president made the remarks during a visit to Thilafushi on Thursday to review progress on the relocation project. He was welcomed to the island by Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) CEO Captain Hussain Shafeeq.
Speaking to the media, Muizzu said the project was progressing successfully through cooperation between government agencies and external partners. He also expressed gratitude to the ministries, state-owned companies and employees working on the project, acknowledging their efforts and commitment.
During the visit, MPL briefed the president on the progress of construction and preparations to transfer port operations from Malé to Thilafushi.
The government has prioritised the relocation, with the president previously expressing confidence that the commercial port would begin operations in Thilafushi in November 2027. The new facility is being developed as a larger port with expanded capacity and infrastructure.
Construction work is progressing across several areas of the project. The first 100 metres of the key wall designated for domestic vessels have been completed, while ground levelling and road construction are ongoing. Approximately 40 per cent of the backfilling work in the area behind the inner key wall has also been completed.
Production of precast concrete blocks required for the key wall is underway at the site. Authorities are also working to procure the necessary machinery and equipment, while the process of selecting a contractor to construct the terminal buildings is ongoing.
The port is being developed across approximately 60 hectares of land in Thilafushi. When it opens, it is expected to have an annual container-handling capacity of 390,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Upon completion of the full project, capacity is expected to increase to 1.8 million TEUs annually.
The facility is planned to accommodate international container vessels with a draft of up to 14.6 metres. Its international container terminal will initially feature a 375-metre key wall, with provision to extend the structure to 1.4 kilometres.
A separate key wall extending approximately two kilometres or more is also planned for domestic vessels.
The new port is expected to significantly reduce the time required to load and unload cargo. With the 375-metre key wall and associated facilities, the estimated turnaround time for cargo operations is approximately two days.
At the existing Malé Commercial Port, cargo loading and unloading can take between seven and 14 days.
When operations begin, the port is expected to be equipped with two ship-to-shore cranes and one mobile harbour crane to support cargo-handling operations.
