The government signed a commercial terms agreement with Abu Dhabi-based Eagle Hills for "Maldives Waterfront and Marina," a US$20 billion tourism and residential development in the Rasmalé area. According to a joint press release by the infrastructure ministry and the UAE developer, the project would combine hotels, premium residences, branded residences, a marina, retail, dining, wellness, education and healthcare facilities. It is projected to attract over US$30 billion in gross foreign investment over its lifetime, create more than 54,000 jobs, welcome over one million visitors annually and generate US$2 billion in annual tourism revenue. Infrastructure Minister Dr Muththalib said the project will establish real estate as a new pillar of the economy alongside tourism, achieved without tax giveaways or government borrowing. Eagle Hills is the Abu Dhabi firm behind Downtown Dubai and Belgrade Waterfront, among others. When pressed by a journalist at a press conference on 29 June, President Muizzu denied any such deal was being negotiated.
Properties would be sold on leaseholds of up to 99 years with a new lease starting on each sale or inheritance, Khaleej Times reported. According to Adhadhu, 500 hectares from Rasmalé, about half of the land to be reclaimed from the Fushi Dhiggaru lagoon, will be allocated for the project. The agreement sets out the project's "principal commercial terms" with detailed terms to be developed as it progresses. Financing, a construction timeline and the amount of capital Eagle Hills will commit directly have not been disclosed.
Eagle Hills will build 5,000 housing units in Hulhumalé as part of the Rasmalé deal, the housing ministry said. It added that the project would not affect the number of residential plots already allocated for public distribution. Muththalib told Mihaaru that the units would be built under a contractor finance model at the company's expense. The government would pay for them only after completion and handover, from the proceeds of their sale. "The government will not do anything like give the company a sovereign guarantee for this work," he said. Muththalib also said the Rasmalé project would receive no tax concessions and that all its funds would flow through Maldivian banks. "Most importantly, this project will bring no change to the previously announced social housing numbers," he added.
HDC cleared a row of large fig trees along the seafront in Hulhumalé opposite Mary Brown, drawing public criticism amid growing concerns about tree felling across the Malé area. HDC said the roots were causing problems for residents and that replacement trees would be planted, but did not respond to Dhauru's queries. Environmental groups say mature trees are irreplaceable as a defence against heat and air pollution, and warn that small saplings cannot compensate for the loss as temperatures continue to rise.
The youth ministry launched a toll-free hotline, 1456, offering counselling and psychosocial support to young people. The line is open from 8am to 2pm, Sunday to Thursday, excluding public holidays.
Gaaf Dhaal Gadhdhoo Council suspended all driving and marine licence services after discovering that over 1,600 licences were issued in the past year, around 133 a month, without proper testing, with examiners confirming that as few as two or three practical tests were conducted per week. The council said the scheme, which involved members of the previous council term, allowed people based in Malé to apply and receive licences the next day without sitting tests, generating financial gains for those involved. Ministry officials visited the island last Thursday and found violations including a volume of licences issued there nearly matching Malé's own numbers. The council was in talks with authorities to resume legitimate licensing services.
Police referred six Maafushi residents or prosecution after they allegedly obstructed officers and assaulted them during a drug search on 11 August. One suspect, 18-year-old Mohamed Shabin Shujau, was released on conditions at the scene, a decision police have appealed at the High Court. The remaining five were arrested on court orders in the days and weeks that followed, with one subsequently released by the court.
The National Integrity Commission opened an investigation into whether Customs acted in breach of laws and procedures when two vessels under its supervision drifted into the Sinamalé bridge on the night of 10 September. The two boats, a fuel barge and a tugboat seized in April for entering Maldivian waters without authorisation, struck the bridge before drifting out to sea, where nine crew members were rescued before the vessels sank some 30 nautical miles east of Malé Atoll. The bridge sustained no structural damage, confirmed by both the government and the Chinese Embassy.
The first Maldives Junior Lifeguard Programme got under way in Kaafu Thulusdhoo. The Australia Maldives Friendship Association and Water Patrol Australia ran the programme from 12 to 14 September.
Three people were hospitalised after two motorcycles collided on Sosun Magu in Malé shortly after 1am. Two men aged 21 and 22 were being treated at IGMH while a 26-year-old woman was receiving care at ADK. Police said the 21-year-old riding one of the motorcycles did not hold a valid driving licence.
