The Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure has announced the Gulhifalhu reclamation project is scheduled for completion by October of this year. The reclamation works of Gulhifalhu began on January.
The project has been contracted to Royal Boskalis Westminster and it spans 150 hectares of land. The construction ministry stated that the project entails the deposition of 18 million cubic meters of sand, of which 16.9 million cubic meters have been deposited. The sand protection phase for the reclaimed area is now underway, with Boskalis initiating revetment laying around the perimeter last week.
The ministry has projected the entirety of the project, encompassing land reclamation and shore protection, to be finalised by October of this year. Boskalis was awarded the contract exceeding USD129 million.
Efforts to expedite the Gulhifalhu project are underway within the government. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has decided to reclaim the entire lagoon to expand the land available for the project. He has also authorised the addition of 100 hectares to the lagoon and reversed the prior decision to relocate the commercial harbour to Thilafushi, thereby allocating an extra 70 hectares for housing initiatives. Over 30,000 housing units are slated for construction on the newly acquired land, with plans to promptly distribute it to those earmarked for land allocation under the previous administration.
Gulhifalhu is located 4km away from Male'. The first phase of the dredging of the lagoon in 2010 was intended to populate the area and reduce congestion in the capital city. However, the project was halted in 2013 by the previous government. The current administration has reconfigured the development plan for Gulhifalhu, with intentions to distribute 2,218 land plots to Male’ residents.