Yard paving works under the project to relocate Malé Commercial Port to Thilafushi are expected to be completed in early October, allowing cargo clearance operations to be transferred to the new port, Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) has said.

MPL said the 100-metre quay wall, assigned to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), has been completed, while paving works are ongoing. Temporary facilities, including a workshop, canteen, office, workers’ waiting area and mosque, are also being developed.

Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed said the relocation project would modernise the country’s main commercial port and support trade and economic development.

MPL said construction of the international port’s 375-metre quay wall and part of its two-kilometre domestic quay is progressing. Land reclamation for the 820-metre domestic quay is 40 per cent complete, with production of precast quay wall units scheduled to begin in October.

The domestic quay is expected to be completed by November 2026, while the international quay is scheduled for completion by July 2027. The port is targeted to open on 11 November 2027, with equipment procurement, including two ship-to-shore cranes and a mobile harbour crane, underway.

The relocation aims to address space constraints at Malé Commercial Port and establish a modern facility capable of providing round-the-clock services.