More than 50 per cent of the Rasmalé land reclamation project has been completed, with authorities assuring that land plots will not be allocated from unreclaimed lagoon areas.

Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Dr Abdulla Muththalib said at a press briefing at the President’s Office that 504 hectares of land have been reclaimed so far, out of a total 1,009 hectares planned under the project, which is currently the largest land reclamation initiative in the Maldives.

The project is being carried out across 11 sites, with the reclaimed area comparable in scale to Hulhumalé Phase I and Phase II combined. Minister Dr Muththalib noted that master planning, land use planning and technical works are also progressing alongside reclamation.

He said the Government remains committed to completing reclamation before allocating land, emphasising that no plots will be issued from lagoon areas. The assurance follows concerns linked to previous projects where land allocation preceded reclamation.

The minister added that while global conditions, including rising costs linked to ongoing Middle East tensions, may impact timelines, the Government does not intend to halt the project and is working to maintain progress.

The Rasmalé project, which commenced on December 18, 2023, is being implemented by Maldives Airports Company Limited, with large-scale dredging equipment deployed to accelerate reclamation works.