President Dr Mohamed Muizzu paid a second visit to the Maldives Expo 2025 on Saturday night, taking time to engage with exhibitors and visit stalls he was unable to cover during the opening night on Friday.

This year’s Expo features a dedicated exhibition space showcasing a wide array of skills, craftsmanship, and creative talent. The event has been organised into distinct zones, including a zone dedicated to the creative economy, a digital and innovation zone, an entertainment zone, and a market zone. Exhibitors are participating across 14 main categories and 82 sub-categories.

Speaking to local media at the event, President Dr Muizzu highlighted the importance of supporting creative industries and announced his intention to declare 2026 as a year dedicated to creativity. He said discussions on the initiative have already begun with Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed to explore concrete steps to expand opportunities in the sector.

The President also reaffirmed his pledge to grow the creative economy to 15 per cent of national GDP by 2030, noting that the goal could be reached ahead of schedule. Emphasising the Government’s role in enabling this growth, the President highlighted efforts to establish a national payment gateway and implement seller account systems.

While acknowledging existing initiatives such as Authentic Maldives, the President also highlighted the need to develop broader and more inclusive platforms to support creative entrepreneurs across both digital and physical spaces.

The President expressed his appreciation for the efforts of Expo participants and affirmed that the Government remains committed to fostering both personal and national economic growth through creative work.