Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) has signed an agreement with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the construction of international and domestic quay walls under the project to relocate the Malé Commercial Harbour to Thilafushi, one of the key pledges of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at MPL's head office today. MPL Chief Executive Officer Captain Hussain Shareef signed on behalf of the company, while CHEC Contract Manager Mao Bao signed on behalf of the contractor.

The project includes the construction of a 375-metre international quay wall with a depth of 14.6 metres for international container vessels, and an 820-metre domestic quay wall with a depth of five metres for cargo vessels serving inter-island transport. MPL said the expanded infrastructure is intended to address long-standing capacity constraints at the Malé Commercial Harbour, improve logistics services, and increase the port's cargo handling capacity.

The quay wall package forms part of the wider harbour relocation project, which is scheduled for completion by 11 November 2027. MPL said some components of the project, including a 100-metre domestic quay wall and paving works covering three hectares, were awarded to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) on 1 June 2026.

Once completed, the Thilafushi commercial port will include more than 1,000 metres of international quay wall and a domestic terminal with more than 2,000 metres of quay wall. The new international quay will be around three times longer than the existing international quay at the Malé Commercial Harbour. MPL said the new port will occupy an area around 10 times larger than the current commercial harbour, providing a long-term solution to the space constraints that have affected port operations for years.

MPL said many of the container vessels currently calling at Malé are too large to berth alongside the existing quay and are required to carry out cargo operations at outer anchorage, making unloading and loading more time-consuming and costly. The company added that if a vessel's crane develops a fault during cargo operations, work must be suspended, resulting in operational delays. At the new port, dedicated cargo-handling equipment, including gantry cranes and mobile harbour cranes, will be installed to improve efficiency.

The international quay is scheduled for completion by October 2027, after which outer anchorage operations for container vessels will no longer be required. MPL said the average turnaround time for cargo vessels, currently around seven days, is expected to be reduced to about two days once the new port becomes operational. The expanded facilities will also provide modern warehousing services and improve container clearance operations.

MPL said the new facilities will allow larger cargo vessels to call at the Maldives, reducing freight costs and helping lower the prices of imported goods.