Author: Mohamed Reehaan

Manta Air, one of the three airlines currently operating domestic services in the Maldives, has decided to wind down its domestic operations altogether and continue solely as a seaplane operator, sources familiar with the matter have said. While Manta Air has not officially confirmed the said decision, reliable sources have confirmed to local news outlet, Adhadhu, that the airline intends to cease flights operated on its ATR aircraft within the next three to six months, and that the decision has already been communicated to its staff. The airline arrived at the said decision, the same sources said, owing to the…

Allied Insurance, the Maldives’ largest insurance provider has launched a social media giveaway offering one follower a PlayStation 5 console. The campaign, called Mission PS5, opened on Tuesday and runs until 23:59hrs on 30 October, the company said. To enter, Instagram users must follow the company’s account, like the campaign post, and comment on it while tagging three other users. Sharing the post to an Instagram story and tagging the account earns an additional entry. The winner will be announced on 16 November. Full terms and eligibility conditions are set out in the campaign post on the company’s Instagram account.…

A Maldives destination management company has launched a set of artificial intelligence tools that allow travelers to search, view and plan resort stays without contacting a sales agent. Resort Life Travel, which has operated in the Maldives since 2006, said the system went live this month and links five functions into a single interface: a conversational map, a voice assistance, a resort concierge, a 360-degree virtual tour guide and a journey planner. The company said travelers can describe the holiday they want in ordinary language rather than by resort name, and the system filters its catalogue by atoll, audience, experience…

The Maldives government will buy back shares it sold in the telecoms operator Dhiraagu and in the state water utility. President Mohamed Muizzu has announced. President Muizzu told a news conference on Monday that raising the government’s holding in Dhiraagu to 51% was among his administration’s most important decisions. The shares had been sold by an earlier Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government, he said, describing the stake as a major state asset and the repurchase as a move made for the benefit of the public. “Work to raise the government’s majority control in Dhiraagu, in the shares it sold, to…

The Maldives government will dissolve two of its largest state-owned enterprises, President Mohamed Muizzu has said. Fenaka Corporation, which supplies electricity to the country’s inhabited islands, and the Road Development Corporation (RDC) will both be wound up, Muizzu told a news conference at the President’s Office on Monday. Fenaka’s services will be transferred to the State Electric Company (STELCO), which will become the sole provider of electricity across the country. RDC’s ongoing work will be handed to the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC). President Muizzu said technical advisers had concluded that Fenaka could not be run on a sustainable…

The Maldives reinforced its commitment to sustainable marine resource management and coastal economic development at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Summit on Small-Scale Fisheries, held from September 4 to 6 in Rome, Italy. Representing the nation’s primary fleet, Samrath Hassan, a fisher from Gaafu Dhaalu Madaveli operating aboard the vessel Kamana, joined international delegates, government officials, civil society groups, and research institutions to address future strategies for small-scale fisheries. During the summit, Hassan presented key operational insights on the central role local fishers play in driving the Maldivian economy and supporting community livelihoods. The Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture…

The Food & Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM) 2026 exhibition officially opened today at the newly launched Manhattan Grand Hotel in Hulhumalé. Running through September 9, this three-day show will bring together global suppliers, resort operators, and hospitality leaders for a major business-to-business networking and culinary competition event. Minister of State for Tourism, Dr. Abdulla Niyaz inaugurated the trade show. Key diplomatic and corporate figures in attendance included: Mohamed Rizwi Hassen, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Vice Admiral (Retd.) Faisal Rasul Lodhi, High Commissioner of Pakistan Dave Williams, U.S. Ambassador Dewi Gustina Tobing, Indonesian Ambassador Yahya Hassan Alqahtani, Saudi Arabian Ambassador…

Britain’s largest travel association, ABTA Limited, asked the Maldives to suspend a new tax on foreign sellers of Maldives holidays four days before the President ratified it, leaving UK tour operators to prepare for an offshore registration regime that takes effect on October 1, 2026. ABTA – The Travel Association wrote to Ministry of Tourism and Aviation Mohamed Ameen on August 27, urging the government to pause implementation and consult operators in the UK and other source markets. President Mohamed Muizzu ratified the 8th amendment to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act on August 31, and the law was…

Maldivians heading to Thailand will get shorter welcome from next week. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told travelers to take note of changes to Thai visa rules that take effect on 15 September, cutting the visa-on-arrival stay for Maldivian passport holders from 90 to 30 days. The ministry said in a notice on Wednesday that Thailand gazetted the revised policy on 31 August, with enforcement beginning on the 15th. Third days is not what Bangkok first had in mind. When the new framework was drawn up, the Maldives sat in the group of countries whose 90-day entitlement was to…

State Pharmaceutical & Medical Supply Corporation Ltd (State Pharma) has signed a distributorship agreement with Hiranis Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd, adding a Pakistani manufacturer to the list of suppliers feeding medicines into the Maldivian market. The company framed the deal as a step towards a more dependable pipeline. Its stated aim is to keep quality medicines flowing without interruption: the sort of supply-chain resilience that matters in an archipelago where stock has to reach islands scattered across hundreds of kilometers, not just pharmacy shelves in the capital. State Pharma said the agreement strengthens and broadens its international supplier network, and gives…