716 hectares reclaimed as Rasmale’ becomes largest island by land area

Mohamed Nashid, State Minister at Housing Ministry, announced on Monday that 716 hectares have been reclaimed under the Rasmalé project, the government’s flagship housing project, to date.

In a post on the social media platform X, Nashid said the Rasmalé reclamation project is progressing steadily without interruption.

He noted that 716 hectares have been reclaimed out of the total projected 1,150 hectares. With this achievement, Nashid said Rasmalé has become the largest island in the Maldives by land area, surpassing L. Gan, which was previously the country’s largest island, by 107 hectares.

He further emphasized that completion of the Rasmalé project would provide a permanent solution to the housing challenges faced by Maldivian citizens.

The project is being implemented across 11 designated sites, with a total of 1,009 hectares targeted for reclamation. According to the government, the project is expected to provide housing for approximately 65,000 people.

The Ministry’s confirmation that more than half of Rasmalé has been reclaimed comes amid claims by some opposition figures that the project has stalled.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu officially inaugurated the Rasmalé land reclamation project on December 18, 2023.

At the onset, President Muizzu said the reclamation work would be completed within eight months. However, the project has faced delays, with reclamation work still ongoing as the administration approaches its first anniversary.

One of the world’s largest dredgers has been deployed for the Rasmalé project, with the reclamation work being carried out under a contract with Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

On January 22, 2024, President Muizzu said Rasmalé would be connected to Malé through the world’s first underwater tunnel. However, in October last year, Minister of Construction and Infrastructure Dr. Abdulla Muththalib clarified that the technology required to construct such a tunnel is not currently available anywhere in the world.

The Minister said that despite the technological limitations, the administration would continue efforts to realize the President’s vision. The remarks subsequently drew significant public criticism.

In an update issued on March 30, the President said technical work on the 'glass tunnel' concept was ongoing, while emphasizing that the government’s immediate priority remained the completion of the Rasmalé reclamation project.