en.Wedoany.com Reported - Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu stated on June 29, 2026, that the large-scale Rasmalé land reclamation project is approximately 60% complete, with the entire project expected to be finished within 2026. Due to a significant increase in fuel costs caused by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the project failed to meet its original scheduled completion date, but related operations have now resumed.
The Rasmalé project is a flagship housing and urban development initiative launched by the Maldivian government to address the long-term housing shortage in the Greater Malé region. Officially initiated on December 18, 2023, the project plans to reclaim a total of 1,009 hectares across 11 designated areas. According to previous disclosures by Maldives' Minister of Infrastructure, Housing, and Urban Development, Dr. Abdulla Muththalib, as of April 2026, the dredging phase of the project was over 50% complete, with 504 hectares of land already dredged. Upon completion, the project is expected to provide up to 65,000 housing units, offering long-term housing solutions for residents of the Greater Malé region.
During a press conference that day, President Muizzu stated that the Middle East conflict has led to a sharp rise in international oil prices, directly impacting the fuel-intensive dredging operations in the reclamation project. He noted that the increase in fuel costs was the primary reason for the project's delay, but construction activities have now resumed. Previously, President Muizzu had pledged in November 2025 that the project would be completed by March or April 2026. The Maldivian government has clearly stated that it will not halt any ongoing infrastructure projects due to economic pressures, but will instead address challenges through cost control measures and schedule adjustments.
The Rasmalé reclamation project is being undertaken by Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL). To advance construction, MACL has deployed the "Cristóbal Colón," one of the world's largest trailing suction hopper dredgers, operated by Belgian dredging company Jan De Nul, capable of extracting 46,000 cubic meters of sand per load. The vessel is approximately 233 meters long, with a hopper capacity of 46,000 cubic meters and a maximum dredging depth of 155 meters, making it one of the largest trailing suction hopper dredgers in the world by hopper capacity. As of February 2026, reclamation progress in Zone A of the project had reached 84.36%, with 116 hectares of land reclaimed.
The Rasmalé reclamation project is one of the largest land reclamation projects in Maldivian history. The temporary slowdown of this project due to Middle East geopolitical conflicts and rising fuel costs reflects the direct impact of international energy price fluctuations on large-scale infrastructure construction in small island developing states. With construction now resumed, whether the project can be completed on schedule within 2026 remains to be seen.
