The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has announced that new dredgers will be mobilised from October to accelerate reclamation work at Hulhumalé Phase III, Gulhifalhu, and Giraavarufalhu, three of the Maldives’ most significant ongoing development projects.
According to HDC, two 45,000-tonne hopper dredgers and one 11,000-tonne hopper dredger will be commissioned to fast-track reclamation works. The equipment will also support dredging at Uthuru Thila Falhu, designated for agricultural and industrial use.
The corporation said it is working closely with relevant authorities to anticipate and resolve logistical challenges, ensuring the projects continue efficiently and without interruption.
The dredging of Gulhifalhu has been contracted to Dutch firm Boskalis, which also handled Phase I of the project. Under the second phase, 192 hectares of land will be reclaimed at an estimated cost of USD 120 million.
At Giraavarufalhu, development plans include depositing 18 million cubic metres of sand and constructing protective revetments around the reclaimed area. Hulhumalé Phase III, meanwhile, is being dredged as part of the Binveriyaa Project. Work on this 63-hectare site began in September last year.
The government has positioned Giraavarufalhu as a key solution to easing housing pressures in the Malé region. Alongside these projects, reclamation at Ras Malé—billed as the country’s largest housing initiative—is also underway, with a 21,000-cubic metre dredger already deployed to speed up progress.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has repeatedly underscored the urgency of addressing the capital’s housing shortage. He has described the Ras Malé project as central to delivering long-term solutions to congestion and affordability challenges in Malé and its surrounding areas.
The administration expects that once completed, the ongoing projects at Hulhumalé Phase III, Gulhifalhu, and Giraavarufalhu will provide thousands of new housing units and alleviate mounting demand for land and housing in the Greater Malé region.
