The housing ministry signed contracts with five Maldivian companies to build 1,000 housing units in Hulhumalé under a public-private partnership for the Affordable Home Ownership scheme. The ministry said the projects went to the five highest-scoring bidders: SJ Construction; a One Realty–Medtech Maldives joint venture; Amin Construction; Rasheed Carpentry and Construction; and a joint venture of Flexinc, Oxrow, Solex and Beeva Builders. The flats will be built in Hulhumalé Phase 3 over two years and five months, sold only to eligible applicants under the government's family housing programme through bank mortgage finance. Two-bedroom flats will be capped at MVR 1.8 million (MVR 116,730) and three-bedroom at MVR 2.3 million.
President Muizzu established a state-owned company to run the long-stalled Hankede integrated tourism project in Addu. The previous MDP government had contracted China's National Electrical Engineering Company to develop Hankede, financed by a US$ 142 million loan from a Chinese bank. Muizzu told Addu residents in November that his government spent 18 months trying to resolve the previous government's failure to finance its contractor before cancelling the deal and reopening bids, drawing interest from a Turkish company. The government plans to develop Hankede on a halal-tourism concept.
Schools closed for a 12-day first-term break with the second term starting on August 2. The government's 217 schools have more than 81,000 students and 9,950 teachers; private schools have over 13,000 students.
Official reserves fell to US$ 686.8 million at the end of June, down US$ 645 million since March. The MMA attributed June's drop mainly to higher foreign-currency spending: it injected 43 percent more US dollars into the market than the previous month to meet demand from banks and importers and to support the Rufiyaa. Usable reserves stood at US$ 248.9 million, down US$ 11.9 million on May.
Former MDP chairman Fayyaz Ismail said he and former President Nasheed will not both contest the party's presidential primary. Asked on Adhadhu's Etherefuh programme whether the two would run against each other for the ticket, Fayyaz said he was 100 percent certain that they would not. He said their political direction and their supporters' thinking aligned, and that the 2023 falling out was over failed agreements, not deception.
Hanimaadhoo Council plans to install solar panels on every house on the island, councillor Ahmed Anaan told Mihaaru. He said the MDP-run council pledged it during the campaign and had decided three weeks ago to seek a surveyor. Each of the island's 500 houses will get a 3kW panel; installing the panels with inverters is estimated to cost MVR 12 million, done in four phases, with the first two targeted this council term. Houses will apply, the council will pay upfront, and households will repay part of the cost in instalments while the council covers the rest.
The Civil Court gave FAM and Future Homes a week to settle out of court a dispute over a building the football association ordered vacated on land near Maafannu Stadium. Future Homes, run by former footballer Ibrahim Fazeel 'Oppo,' sued seeking an injunction to stop the eviction, saying it had completed its obligations under a 2023 agreement and built there as agreed, and that complying with FAM's order would cause it irreparable loss it doubts FAM could compensate. Under the deal, FAM gave the company 2,700 square feet of stadium land rent-free for 25 years in return for clearing rubbish south of the turf pitch and building a changing room, work Future Homes says cost it millions. FAM said the agreed compensation figures were clearly stated and within its means to pay, and that it moved to act legally after the company repeatedly failed to vacate.
President Muizzu officiated the swearing-in of 255 new soldiers – 138 from the MNDF's 72nd basic training batch and 117 from the 73rd – at Girifushi. The four-month courses ran from March 7.
