Author: Mohamed Reehaan

The Government of Maldives and World Bank has signed on two grant agreements with a collect grant extension of USD34 million (MVR524 million) to strengthen the pension and safety nets for Maldivian workers and improve employability. In addition to this, the grant will be utilized to leverage digital technologies for the development and climate resilience as well. The agreements were signed at the Ministry of Finance between Minister of Finance Mr. Ibrahim Ameer and Mr. Faris H. Hadad-Zervos, the Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka of World Bank. “The Maldives and World Bank has enjoyed a strong partnership…

HSBC celebrates 20 years of service in the Maldives. The anniversary was marked in the bank’s newly refurbished sky branch in Maldives Capital, Male’ City. The celebration of the bank’s continued operations for two decades in the island nation was graced by the Governor of Maldives Mr. Ali Hashim along with Mark Surgenor, the Chief Executive of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives. The bank was first setup in the island nation in 2002 as a fully-fledged branch of HSBC catering to corporate banking customers. While the previous branch was situated in the MTCC building in Boduthakurufaanu Magu, before its most…

Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru has nabbed the title of “Best Luxury Hideaway Resort in Maldives, 2022” in this year’s Luxury Lifestyle Awards. The top-tier tourist resort boasts of 81 luxury villas in five distinct categories which include beach, pool and two-bedroom accommodations and the overwater bungalows. “Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru sparkles with breathtakingly beautiful nature alongside elegant accommodations. We are so proud that our delightful hideaway has already been recognized by the experts from Luxury Lifestyle Awards,” the resort’s General Manager Mr. John Allanson commented. He further added, “The Outrigger Way [of] commitment to authentically caring for our guests, alongside the bewitching…

Famous hotelier brand Hilton’s newest addition has been officially opened for the guests. Hilton’s latest entry, the Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort and Spa is the hotelier brand’s fifth property in the island nation. This all-villa resort features several never-before-seen amenities in the archipelago, claimed to set a new benchmark in the hospitality industry. The internationally recognized and well renowned hotelier brand operates Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton and now it adds Amingiri to its rich portfolio. Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort and Spa is owned by Amingiri Holdings Pvt Ltd and…

Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has officially introduced the new currency sign for Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR). The newly unveiled official sign for the currency sign of Rufiyaa is the Dhivehi “Thaana” letter “Raa” with an additional horizontal stroke. The new currency sign was unveiled during a special ceremony held at the MMA headquarters on Sunday, 03rd July. The sign was officially introduced by the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Ms. Aminath Shauna. A total of over 70 design proposals were submitted to the central bank when it had announced for interested parties to design the concept for the official…

Influencers representing Kelapa Media arrived in the Maldives as part of the tourism familiarization trip managed by Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). The influencer duo will be staying in the island nation, getting themselves accustomed to local hospitality and tourism experiences from 26th June to 06th July 2022. Kelapa Media is a film production company creating commercial photography and videography for brands and “encompasses an audience covering the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy and UAE markets.” The familiarization trip for the influencer duo aim to accentuate the “romantic side of Maldives, emphasizing a variety of services catering…

According to the latest update from Ministry of Tourism, the total tourist arrivals as of 29th June have been reported at 809,603. Tourist arrivals to the island nation indicated an increment of 59.2% in annual terms by the review period, compared to the corresponding period in 2021. In the same period last year, tourist arrivals were reported at just 508,691 while in 2020 it was reported at just 382,816. Despite strong flux of inbound travelers, the total tourist arrival count was still 5.6% below in annual terms compared to the same period in 2019. In 2019, for the same period,…

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has initiated a digital and print media advertising campaign with popular German lifestyle magazine; Falstaff. The campaign will last for a duration of three months, starting from June and lasting until the end of August 2022. Falstaff is a renowned German publication offering the “perfect combination of lifestyle and well-founded information around topics of wine and drinks, food and travel.” Under this joint campaign, MMPRC will advertise the Maldives as a preferred holiday destination on the magazine as well as on the print version of it, both in English and German languages. The…

State has earned a reported total of MVR154 million (USD10 million) from the sale of four local islands for resort development. According to the Ministry of Tourism, a total of four companies have already paid the land acquisition cost for these islands for tourist resort development, which had been collected by Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA). Earlier, Maldives government put up bids for 18 uninhabited local islands for resort development, which was announced during the Dubai Expo held last October, 2021. Ministry of Tourism evaluated all the bids and awards the islands to companies that won the bids; for five…

Ooredoo Maldives has hosted their Small to Medium Business (SMB) Meetup on Tuesday, 28th June commemorating the occasion of International Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Day. To celebrate the day, Ooredoo Maldives invited several SMBs and local entrepreneurs to network, share ideas, brainstorm and exchange feedback as well as assist in forming new partnerships. The telecommunication and internet service provider asserts its belief that local SMBs play a vital part in the community and remains an active and instrumental economic contributor. The SMB Meetup aims to enable connectivity on Ooredoo’s strong nationwide network and provide innovative digital solutions. Ooredoo…