A workshop on e-commerce and online business, organised by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade in collaboration with Alibaba.com, opened with over 600 participants joining both in person and online.

The event, held at Nasandhura in Malé on 15 September, brought together entrepreneurs, students and small business owners from across the country. Senior officials from Alibaba attended the sessions, providing information on opening seller accounts, advertising and selling products on the platform, and using artificial intelligence tools to identify market trends.

The workshop also explored how businesses can assess the value of their products and services for international markets. Maldives Post presented shipping and logistics options available for sellers, highlighting opportunities to connect Maldivian products with foreign buyers.

According to the Ministry, the initiative aligns with the Government’s goal of generating 15 per cent of the country’s GDP from the creative industry, by supporting local businesses to expand into overseas markets through global e-commerce platforms.

Alibaba, one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms, operates in over 200 countries with more than 40 million registered users and a daily listing of over 400,000 products. Officials noted that access to such a platform provides a significant opportunity for Maldivian enterprises to scale up and diversify their reach.