Hajj Corporation opens bidding for hotel development in Maafushi

The Maldives Hajj Corporation (MHC) has announced an international bid for the development of a tourist hotel in K. Maafushi.

The project will be implemented under the supervision of Maafushi Islamic Tourism Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of MHC. The bidding process is open to both domestic and international companies.

Interested parties must pay a registration fee of MVR 30,000 and submit a bid security of MVR 800,000. Maafushi is one of the largest local tourism destinations in the Maldives.

However, during a parliamentary session held on 3 December 2024, Minister of Finance Moosa Zameer expressed reservations about the Hajj Corporation’s entry into the guesthouse business.

In response to a question posed by MP Mohamed Abbas of Velidhoo constituency, the minister stated that companies such as the Hajj Corporation are tasked with managing the funds they receive and should evaluate whether investing in the guesthouse sector is the most effective use of those funds.

Zameer suggested that if surplus funds are available, they should be managed with the assistance of financial specialists. He added that while there are state-owned companies capable of investing in the tourism sector, not all government-owned enterprises developing guesthouses or resorts have yielded favourable results.