Land reclamation at Giraavaru Falhu is expected to be completed by the end of May, Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Dr Abdulla Muththalib has said.

The update was provided in Parliament amid public concern over delays in issuing land registries under the previous government, where registries had been prepared prior to the completion of reclamation.

Minister Dr Muththalib clarified that land registration will only proceed after reclamation is fully completed, in line with existing legal requirements.

North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim raised questions on the project’s timeline, the allocation of residential plots, and whether there are plans to relocate plots designated from Giraavaru Falhu to other areas.

The Minister stated that a total of 169 hectares is being reclaimed from Giraavaru Falhu. When the current Government assumed office, only 54 hectares had been completed under the project, which had been assigned to Maldives Fund Management Corporation. The project had since stalled before being reassigned.

Reclamation work later resumed under Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), with efforts focused on accelerating progress.

“MACL began work on the remaining 97 hectares on 31 January 2026. So far, 44 hectares have been completed, with 54 hectares still pending,” Dr Muththalib said.

The original land use plan had proposed allocating 5,000 plots from the area. However, Dr Muththalib noted that the available land could not accommodate that number. As a result, 1,114 plots were reallocated to Gulhifalhu following a revision to the plan, which was announced publicly. Plot allocations have since been finalised in line with the updated plan.

Reaffirming the Government’s position, the Minister said land registries can only be issued once reclamation is complete.

“Under Maldivian law, land registries cannot be issued for unreclaimed land. Preparatory work for registration is ongoing, and registries will be issued once reclamation is complete,” he said.

While reclamation is still ongoing, plot boundaries and plot numbers have already been determined based on the revised land use plan.