Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Dr Abdulla Muththalib has stated that the Government has secured enough land to develop 10,700 housing flats in the Greater Malé area as part of efforts to address the country’s housing shortage.

Speaking at a press conference held at the President’s Office, the minister said construction has already begun on 3,260 housing units in the Malé region.

According to Minister Dr Muththalib, Bank of Maldives (BML) will finance 540 housing units, while 500 units will be developed through an interest-free loan scheme. He further stated that 400 flats will be constructed with assistance from Saudi funding, while an additional 4,000 housing units are planned under the Indian Line of Credit project in Gulhifalhu. The minister noted that financing has already been arranged for all the announced projects.

He also revealed that the Government is preparing a controlled-price housing initiative through the provision of free land and incentives, adding that several Maldivian companies have already applied for the programme.

According to the minister, the project proposal has been submitted to the Economic Council, while discussions are also ongoing regarding an additional 1,000 housing units.

The minister said available land has already been identified for the planned 10,700 flats, although some building heights in Hulhumalé Phase 3 have been adjusted due to airport flight path restrictions, with buildings currently planned at 14 storeys. He added that the ministry is continuing discussions with the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to identify additional land for future housing projects.

The minister stressed that housing remains a major priority of the Government, with efforts underway to find a long-term solution to the housing issue.