Author: Mohamed Reehaan

The government of Maldives on Sunday, 02nd April, signed agreements with a Chinese company to develop four regional hospitals in the north and south of the Maldives. The government awarded these projects to the Chinese International Development Corporation Agency in a bid to expedite the hospitals’ development. The Ministry confirmed this without giving away any additional information. Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid assured the health sector of the Maldives will commence development without much ado. “We hope that the close relationship between the Maldives and China will continue to strengthen through our efforts…

The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has formally bid farewell to its last Chief Executive Officer of three years, Adam Azim. The corporation held a formal farewell to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions and dedication of Azim. MTCC stated that Azim’s contribution left an indelible mark on the organization, and added he was an inspiration to all of his colleagues. Though not confirmed if the two are mutually connected, Azim’s exit from MTCC follows hot on the heels of his resignation from the Jumhooree Party (JP); a prominent political party in the Maldives, since he was appointed as the…

Urbanco has begun drawing lots to select eligible buyers from Vinares Flats applicants with equal points. The corporation said that it had filtered the applications, removed all the multiple main or co-applicant forms; meaning more than one form bearing the name of the same individual in either the main or co-applicant column, have been delisted. Urbanco further confirmed it had removed repeat applications from spouses who applied for the flats separately and signed to waive off one of the applications. In addition to this, Urbanco, the former Housing Development Corporation (HDC), said that applicants who waived off their applications and…

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has unveiled its new official corporate identity; Urbanco. Urbanco, the former HDC unveiled its new look at the ceremony held to commemorate the company’s 22nd anniversary, held last Saturday, 01st April. The company went through a major rebranding effort which included a corporation wide shift of its new objectives and development. The former HDC removed its previous name plates in favor of the new Urbanco signs, already installed on its headquarters. “We have unveiled our corporation’s new identity as we head towards redefinition and building a world of better tomorrows for the people of Maldives,”…

Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO) has stated that the outstanding bills from previous months will not be tied into the new combined utility bill by the State Electric Company (STELCO). WAMCO began including waste collection fees in STELCO’s utility bills from 01st April onwards. The charges have been combined into a single utility bill to resolve the issue of outstanding payments to WAMCO by customers. An official from WAMCO also clarified that outstanding bills can still be settled through ‘AvasPay’. “Any previous outstanding bill will no be tied to the STELCO utility bill”, they added. Before WAMCO tied its bills to…

Malaysia’s full-service carrier, Batik Air Malaysia, which previously operated as Malindo Air is set to launch direct flights to the Maldives this May 2023. Batik Air will launch flights to the Maldives on 12th May reportedly. The flight includes a transit stop in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the way to the island nation. The carrier will use the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in the new route. Batik Air previously operated flights to Sri Lanka between 2015 to 2020, while this marks the very first time the airline is operating to the Maldives.

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have exceeded 510,000 as of 29th March 2023, according to the Ministry of Tourism. According to the ministry’s statistics, tourist arrivals as of the review date reached 513,795. This is a 21.0% increment compared to the 424,610 arrivals in annual terms by the same period in 2022. Meanwhile, tourist arrivals exclusively from 01st to 29th March stood at 163,381 which is a 13.6% increment compared to the 143,834 arrivals during the same period last year. While the average duration of stay in annual terms remains unchanged at 8.0 days, by the review duration it was…

The State Trading Organization (STO) announced it has begun accepting applications for the Board Directorship from interested parties. The opportunity is open for public shareholders to become involved in the company’s decision-making process. According to STO, candidates for the Board of Director position should meet certain requirements, including completing an application form and submitting the required documents. The largest-state owned enterprise further noted that applicants can submit their forms via email at [email protected] or through the platform on STO’s website. The application submission is open until 10:00hrs of 24th April. While STO is seeking a new director to its board,…

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has launched a digital marketing campaign with Thrillophilia targeting the Indian traveler market. The digital campaign will run from March to May 2023. The campaign will further promote the different products and experiences available in the Maldives. Additionally, the marketing efforts will highlight the Maldives as a short-haul destination for Indian visitors. The joint campaign with Thrillophilia will feature informative articles, video ads, guidebooks, and other content on the Maldives. The content will feature products, experiences, segments and the latest destination updates. In addition to this, the campaign will also feature social…

The Maldives and Japanese governments are set to hold their fourth round of Japan-Maldives Policy Dialogue on 4th April 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel will lead the Maldives delegation, and the Japanese delegation will be led by Arima Yutaka, the Director General of the Southeast and Southwest Asian Department at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The countries will discuss ways to further strengthen the existing bilateral ties, including development and economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and regional cooperation. Both countries will further discuss issues of mutual concern and interests in the regional…