Hassan Saeed urges Addu residents to focus on development, not division
Hassan Saeed highlighted the ongoing tourism and infrastructure projects in Addu, including initiatives led by both the government and private sector.
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Former Attorney General Dr Hassan Saeed has urged the people of Addu to focus their time, money and energy on constructive development rather than pursuing the formation of separate island councils.
A referendum is scheduled for Saturday in Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo to decide whether the three islands should establish individual councils, separate from Addu City Council. The government has said the vote will take place in response to requests from residents of those islands.
In a letter addressed to the people of Feydhoo on Sunday, Hassan Saeed highlighted the ongoing tourism and infrastructure projects in Addu, including initiatives led by both the government and private sector.
He noted that the largest private development currently underway in the Maldives is in Addu — a project to create 1,000 tourist beds. He said he and his partners were also developing tourism facilities in the zones of Feydhoo, Meedhoo and Hithadhoo, with plans to expand bed capacity and improve transport connections to support the atoll’s tourism sector.
Hassan warned that the upcoming referendum could disrupt ongoing projects. He said efforts to increase Addu’s tourism capacity were already facing challenges, and the administrative changes proposed in the vote could further delay or suspend key developments.
He outlined several concerns:
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A MVR 200 million loan involving the government, Bank of Maldives and his company has been stalled.
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The development of Sawahili Island as a tourism service island has halted, affecting plans for guesthouses and resorts in Feydhoo.
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The Feydhoo Tourism Zone lacks water and sewerage services, with joint plans between the city council and developers now uncertain.
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The tourism zone fencing project, agreed with the city council, may be suspended if Feydhoo becomes a separate council.
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Jurisdictional changes could delay lease agreements and prevent financial institutions from approving loans for ongoing projects.
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The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Feydhoo tourism zone and Sawahili beach development would need revision if administrative boundaries change.
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Investor confidence could decline due to uncertainty over governance and approvals.
“These are the realities facing the atoll today,” Hassan said. “Instead of dividing, we should invest our time and energy in building and strengthening Addu.”
He also called on residents to engage constructively with the government, noting that President Mohamed Muizzu is scheduled to visit the region later this month. Hassan suggested using the visit to seek government support for reopening closed resorts, accelerating loans for guesthouses, designating Sawahili as a service island, and securing air travel concessions to Gan.
Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo, which are geographically separate from the connected islands of Addu, have previously expressed interest in forming independent councils.
Currently, Addu is administered under a single city council that governs six islands — the four connected islands of Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo and Feydhoo, along with Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo.
The 25 October referendum will be the first to be held in the Maldives under the new referendum law.
