Author: Mohamed Reehaan

Housing Development Corporation (HDC) confirms the second phase of Thilafushi development will begin in January 2023. As part of the second phase development project, land reclamation will kick off. According to HDC, 151 hectares of reclaimed land will be added to the existing 120 hectares of land in the island. Meanwhile, HDC Manager Industrial, Mohamed Shamin said that the corporation signed with China’s Haba company earlier on 15 May, to hand over the land reclamation project. During the development of Thilafushi, various plots will be earmarked for industrial activities. These plots may include heavy industrial and warehousing areas. HDC confirmed…

Bangladesh launched its first metro rail service, funded mostly by Japan, in the densely populated capital on Wednesday, 28 December. The country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the service accompanied by newly appointed Japanese Ambassador Kiminori Iwama and Ichiguchi Tomohide, the Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). “We have added another feather of pride to the crown of Bangladesh’s people today. Another feather added to the crown of the development of Bangladesh,” she said during the inauguration. Hasina had commemorated six Japanese rail engineers working on the project who were killed during an attack on a Dhaka cafe…

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Wednesday, 28 December, said that the country’s economy has successfully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. President Solih made the statement while briefing local media at President’s Office, to provide updates on the current administration’s socioeconomic plans. He described 2022 as a challenging year for the country’s economy. He added that the war in Eastern Europe followed by the Covid-19 pandemic had resulted in significant global economic crises. The global economic impact put dents in the country’s economic progress, but owing to strong recovery from tourism industry, Maldives saw resilient growth. The country’s economic growth for…

Since the new runway began operations on 06 October 2022, Velana International Airport (VIA) has reported a new record air traffic movement on the tarmac. According to Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the new runway recorded a total of 228 air traffic movements on 22 December 2022. The movements included 104 international and 104 domestic movements as well as 20 private jet landings. This is the highest single-day flight movement recorded since the new runway came into effective operation. Meanwhile, the airport records an average of 800 air traffic movements, inclusive of seaplane traffic, per day. VIA is observing a…

Bank of Maldives (BML) has donated 33 motorized wheelchairs supporting people with mobility impairments. With this donation, the bank’s program which began in 2017 has now seen the successful delivery of over 200 motorized wheelchairs all over the country. Speaking about the initiative, the bank’s CEO Karl Stumke said, “Supporting vulnerable communities has always been important to the bank. The wheelchair donation program has been instrumental in improving the lives of so many disable people and their families”. BML continues to support people with disabilities through its various programs. Most recently, BML donated educational tools to assist Special Education Need…

State Electric Company (STELCO) hosted its Annual General Meeting 2021 on Monday, 26 December 2022. At the AGM, the company focused on commercial achievements and highlights, financial performances and its review as well as discussions of STELCO’s prospects. Despite global economic woes, fuel price hikes amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict earlier this year and the Covid-19 pandemic before that, the company showed resilient performance. Moreover, STELCO was at the forefront of serving the community and extend assistance to the government during the pandemic. Additionally to this, STELCO submitted annual budget for 2023 at the meeting. STELCO confirms its 2023 budget will…

Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) signed an agreement with Housing Development Corporation (HDC) towards the development and operation of a new office building in Hulhumale’. HDC has allotted a total of 7,467.13 square feet of land to MIB in Hulhumale’ Phase I to develop the new office. The plot is situated close to Hulhumale’ Central Park. The agreement was signed between the parties on Thursday, 22 December. MIB currently provides its services via an office located in the ground floor of One Avenue that opened a week earlier.

Sun Siyam Media Group announces its newly conceived SS Network will make arrangements for DhiraaguTV customers to shift to their new cable TV service. SS Network Pvt Ltd, is a recently conceived fully local rebroadcaster that is in line with the amendments brought to Rebroadcasting Regulation (R-1/2022) by Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC). The local rebroadcaster in a statement said that the opportunity to apply for the cable services will be opened soon and Dhiraagu customers who apply for the services can easily transition into the SS Net services. SS Network is relaunching the IPTV and OTT services introduced by Dhiraagu…

Total tourist arrivals for 2022 in annual terms has reached 1,607,314, reports Ministry of Tourism. Meanwhile, the total tourist arrivals from 01st to 21st December stood at a total of 116,071. Annual tourist arrivals observed a 26.9% increment when compared with the same period in 2021, during which arrivals had been at 1,266,735. Despite the significant annual increment when compared with last year, the arrivals were still 1.9% below in annual terms compared to the same period in 2019 during which the count reached a total of 1,638,798. As for the monthly exclusive total, arrivals observed a 6.4% increment when…

Ooredoo Maldives’ recently held “Color Run” upgrade, “Fun Run” was well received by participants. This is also the first such community run organized by Ooredoo Maldives since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. According to Ooredoo Maldives, more than 5,000 runners took to the streets at Hulhumale’ on Friday, 23 December. The five kilometer run saw several high-profile athletes from the Maldives joining enthusiastic runners as well. The run was kicked off with a selfie taken by Maldives Vice President Faisal Naseem alongside Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna. The two were joined in kicking off the run…