Govt meets Shangri-La officials to expedite Addu resort reopening

Cabinet ministers held a high-level meeting on Sunday with senior officials from Shangri-La to discuss the reopening of Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa in Addu.

The resort has remained closed since 2020.

The meeting was convened as part of efforts to fulfil President Mohamed Muizzu’s pledge to reopen the resort within the first year of his administration. The resort was closed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained non-operational for over five years.

Ministers who represented the government at the meeting included Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Finance and Planning Moosa Zameer, and Attorney General Ahmed Usham.

Discussions focused on the steps required to reopen the resort and the role the government could play in accelerating the process.

The government previously held a 30 percent stake in Addu Investments Pvt Ltd, the company that operates the resort. That stake was divested during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. No public announcements have been made since regarding government action related to the resort’s reopening.

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort spans 50.6 hectares and has a total capacity of 284 beds.