Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has announced that operations at Shangri-La's resort in Addu Atoll will be significantly expanded in July, while the Government is also preparing to commence physical work on the long-awaited Hankede tourism development project.

The Minister made the remarks in Parliament while responding to a question from Central Hithadhoo MP Ahmed Azaan Marzooq.

Minister Ameen said Shangri-La is currently operating on a limited scale but is expected to substantially increase its operational capacity by the middle of July. He added that the Ministry has been working closely with the resort's operators and that preparations are progressing to support the expansion.

Shangri-La suspended operations in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in more than 500 employees losing their jobs. Efforts by the previous administration to reopen the resort through various investment initiatives did not materialise.

Reopening the resort was one of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's key presidential pledges during the 2023 election campaign. Following negotiations by the Government, the resort resumed welcoming guests on 30 December 2025.

Speaking on tourism development in Addu, Minister Ameen said preparations for the Hankede tourism project have reached an advanced stage, with physical implementation expected to begin soon.

The Hankede tourism project was announced by previous administrations as a major tourism development for Addu. Minister Ameen said the current Government is now finalising preparations and expects physical work on the project to begin soon.

The Minister said a detailed announcement on the project will be made shortly, after which implementation will begin.

Expanding tourism in Addu has been a longstanding objective of successive governments over the past two decades. As part of those efforts, the Government established an air connectivity network linking Addu, Fuvahmulah and islands in Huvadhu Atoll to improve regional connectivity and support tourism growth.