Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has said a new plan for Hankede—a project inaugurated with a fireworks display two years ago—will be unveiled soon.
Responding to questions from MPs, Ameen emphasized that the administration views the Hankede project as a critical development for the tourism sector in the south, especially for Addu.
"We are currently undertaking efforts to launch the Hankede project through a revised approach. God willing, within the next two to three weeks, a very detailed project plan will be announced, and arrangements will be made to commence physical work immediately," he said.
Hankede was designated as a real estate tourism zone by the previous administration.
Under the 10th amendment to the Tourism Act, the previous government designated Hankede as a site for real estate tourism projects on December 2, 2021. This initiative aimed to bolster tourism revenue by allowing the sale of residential properties to foreigners.
The financing for the Hankede project was secured through a loan agreement signed with the Bank of China on November 6, 2023, following the initial project signing in March 2023. By the time President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office on November 17, 2023, nearly all pre-construction requirements had been finalized.
The previous administration had contracted the China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) on March 30, 2023, to develop Hankede. The project was slated to be funded by a USD 142.9 million (MVR 2.3 billion) loan from the Bank of China.
After a period of inactivity following the change in government, the current administration, on October 2, 2024, contracted two Dubai-based firms to manage and operate the hotels within the planned integrated tourism resort at Hankede.
A high-profile ceremony with senior government officials and fireworks was held at the site ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections, marking what was then described as the commencement of physical work.
However, after work stalled, the Tourism Ministry issued an announcement on June 29, 2025, redesignating Hankede as a zone for "Halal Tourism." At the time of this decision, the government did not provide an explanation regarding the status of the previous project.
Shortly after that decision, the strategy shifted again, and the project was relocated to Dhonhera, one of the three islands reclaimed for resort development in Addu. Muizzu designated Dhonhera as a site for real estate development.
In the decree issued for this purpose, Muizzu also terminated the Maldives Fund Management Corporation’s (MFMC) jurisdiction over the site. At that stage, agreements had already been established with companies to operate the hotels being developed by CNEEC. To date, the government has not clarified the status of those agreements or the reasons for the decision to halt the original project.
Most recently, on October 12, the government issued a new announcement seeking developers to transform Hankede under an integrated resort concept.
