Author: Mohamed Reehaan

State Trading Organization (STO) has opened its Roadha Mart retail outlet in Hulhumale’ Phase 2. The outlet was opened ahead of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, to enhance accessibility for residents living in Hulhumale’ Phase 2. STO said that the mart was opened owing to difficulties residents in the area faced over the lack of retail outlets. STO also said that the outlet was opened to provide commodities at affordable prices since the demand increases for them during the month. The STO Roadha Mart was officially inaugurated by the corporation’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Husen Amr along with…

DAMAC Group, under its property development arm DAMAC Properties, has awarded Aima Construction Company with the main works construction contract for 120 villas at the Mandarin Oriental Bolidhuffaru Reef resort in the Maldives. The contract, valued at approximately USD 148 million (MVR2.2 billion), was awarded by DAMAC to commence construction on a series of resort accommodations which will extend across three private islands. Commenting about this, the General Manager of Projects at DAMAC Properties Mohammed Tahaineh said, “we are fully confident in the capabilities of Aima Construction, whose track-record and enthusiasm for the project exceeded all our expectations during an…

Dhiraagu has signed the second facility agreement of USD30 million with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund the investment in SEA-ME-WE 6 (SMW6) Submarine Cable System initiative. The second facility brings the total funding from IFC and ADB to USD55 million. The SMW6 is aimed to connect the Maldives to the global internet superhighway and reduce latency, improve quality, and reduce the cost of Dhiraagu’s internet services. Besides further enhancing the digital infrastructure with the investment, it will help the company’s efforts to make the Maldives a global digital hub. Last year, Dhiraagu signed…

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have exceeded 440,000 by 15th March 2023, reported the Ministry of Tourism. According to the ministry’s most recent statistics, tourist arrivals stood at a total of 440,059 as of the review date which is a 23.8% increment compared to the same period in 2022, during which arrivals stood at 355,433. The arrivals from 01st to 15th March on the other hand, stood at 89,646 which is a 20.1% increase compared to the same period last year during which arrivals stood at 74,657. Top 10 Markets (as of 15th March) Russia: 54,527 India: 47,462 UK: 41,126…

Fushifaru Maldives, a luxurious boutique resort in Lhaviyani atoll has won the prestigious ‘Best Hotel Sustainability Progress’ award at the TUI Global Hotel Awards 2023. The award recognizes the resort’s outstanding commitment to sustainability, environmental responsibility, and community development. The award was presented during the ITB Berlin fair held earlier in March. The TUI Global Hotel Awards is an annual event celebrating the world’s most exceptional hotels, resorts, and destinations. Fushifaru Maldives was recognized for its carbon footprint, preservation of marine life, and support to the local community. The resort has also implemented a wide range of green initiatives including…

LUX* South Ari Atoll welcomed extraordinary guests for this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations held on 08th March 2022. The luxury holiday resort hosted inspiring changemakers and leaders who contribute to the development of the Maldives, each in their own field. The guests were invited for an Extraordinary Quest with pop-up surprises and hosted workshops designed to “guide them on a new approach to daily routine.” The property invited six women of different nationalities, professions and positions, who made it to the “Extraordinary Winners” list. They include; Anja Shareef – Aero Marketing Manager at Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) Shaistha…

Marriott International Maldives celebrated International Women’s Day colorfully. The high-tier property on 08th March 2023 conducted two inspiring events to celebrate women achievements and progress towards equality. The events were hosted at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa and Huraa Island. Sheraton Maldives kicked off the celebrations with a panel discussion which featured Emma Jones, the Area Director of Human Resources at Marriott International for Singapore, Malaysia, and Maldives; Shalinee Ahmed, the Market Director of Sales and Marketing at Marriott International Maldives; Mohamed Shiman, the Director of Human Resources at Sheraton Maldives. The topic of the panel discussion was…

The State Trading Organization (STO) celebrated the first anniversary of the hypermarket concept of STO People’s Choice; its largest retail outlet, on 15th March 2023. STO closed its People’s Choice supermarket for renovations and reopened under the hypermarket concept on 15th March 2022. Under the hypermarket concept, STO allowed a large number of local retailers to prop up their stalls within the market to showcase and retail their respective products. The hypermarket concept proved popular among local retailers since it was advantageous for lesser-known retailers to sell their products under the same roof as one of the largest and most…

Soneva Jani has been awarded Worldwide Kids Accreditation for the property’s commitment to providing world-class childcare services. The property operates in line with WK health and safety standards. The luxury resort’s The Den at Soneva Jani is a two-storey playground, and one of the largest children’s clubs in Asia. It offers fun-filled experiences for children of all ages. The Den comes with a Lego and craft area, dressing-up room, library and cinema provides space for books, films, and more. A separate area of the club is dedicated to sensory play for toddlers, and the kitchen area hosts cooking lessons and…

The Bank of Maldives (BML) on Wednesday, 15th March, opened applications for proposals under its Community Fund for the first phase of 2023. The fund is open for registered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to access funds up to MVR50,000 to implement community-centric projects. The projects should be in the areas of environment, education, sports, and community development. BML said that in this phase, 10 projects will be selected from the proposals received. Similar to previous years, a total of 20 projects will be funded this year as well. The application deadline is 15th April 2023. Application forms and proposals should be…