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UAE: Maldives eyes 100,000 GCC tourists with new terminal set to open by year-end
Tourism is the largest contributor to the Maldives’ economy as it represents 30 per cent of GDP
- PUBLISHED: Sun 4 May 2025, 1:43 PM
Tourism between UAE and the Maldives is set to grow exponentially as flight frequency will increase with the opening of the new terminal in the archipelagic state's airport, said Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Tourism and Environment in the Maldives.
“We really want to increase frequency between UAE and Maldives, and that’s one of the aims of my visit to the UAE – apart from other things. The aim is to speak to airlines and try to increase their flight frequency, as there is still capacity. Now, Emirates has multiple flights a day, and same with Qatar Airways and flydubai,” Ibrahim told Khaleej Times in an interview in Dubai on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market 2025.
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Due to congestion at the main airport, the Maldives is expanding Velana International Airport to accommodate the growing number of foreign tourists in the island nation.
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“At the moment, there is some congestion, but we will be opening our new terminal by the end of the year that can cater for 7 million tourists. Once it opens, there will be less issues,” he said.
In December 2024, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) provided a $40 million loan for the Velana International Airport.
'A matter of time'
The island country, last year, received 2 million tourists and is aiming for 2.3 million this year.
“In the first quarter of 2025, 770,000 passengers have already arrived, so we can go beyond this target,” the minister said.
From the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, around 65,000 tourists visited the Maldives last year. "Everybody I have spoken to here in the UAE wants to go to the Maldives. It's a matter of time before it reaches 100,000. We need to do a bit more marketing. The Maldives is very open and welcoming to GCC travellers. Being a Muslim country, there are some cultural similarities, therefore, GCC people are very comfortable coming to the Maldives and spending their time.”
Ibrahim noted that the Maldives is very safe for tourists, especially those coming from GCC countries, because they prefer to have exclusive accommodations and bungalows.
He added that Dubai-based Emirates airline carries the bulk of tourists that come to the Maldives, followed by airlines from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. “The UAE airlines have a big market share of tourists coming to Maldives.”
Affordable tourism
Tourism is the largest contributor to the Maldives’ economy with 30 per cent of GDP. It has more than 170 tourist resorts in operation while 150 are under construction.
Catering mainly to high-end tourism, the Maldives is also providing budget tourism options such as guest house properties for affordable tourism.
“Maldives also has local guest houses for tourism that are comparatively cheaper to those who want to visit the Maldives and stay in our local tourism guest house properties. We have a very long history of welcoming tourists and showcasing our natural beauty, undersea work, flora and fauna and clean air and water,” said Ibrahim.
Some UAE-based developers, such as Samana Developers, have announced developing residential and hospitality projects in the Maldives.
“Maldives is a very popular place for foreign investors to come and invest. There are several UAE and GCC investors already building and operating resorts. We have a lot of people already investing. I spoke to many people here in UAE who want to invest in the Maldives as well, return on investment is very fast,” he added.
Ibrahim revealed that the government is heavily focusing on sustainability such as solar energy and waste management.
“The government is focusing now on inhabited islands to have a waste management facility with proper equipment. We want to have it on all 182 islands completed by the end of the year. Each resort will have a proper waste management system in place as well,” the minister said, adding that the aim is to have 33 per cent of electricity generated from renewable energy.
