MALÉ, 7 September 2026
His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Republic of Maldives, said on Monday that housing will be secured for the majority of citizens by around the middle of 2028, setting a public timeline against one of the most closely watched commitments of his administration.
Speaking at a press briefing at the President’s Office, the President said the current housing programme, spread across projects at various stages of development, will allow many citizens to move into their homes within his term. He noted that housing projects begun under previous administrations had not been completed within the terms that started them, according to the statement issued by the President’s Office.
He also stressed that the government’s approach extends beyond building flats. Accessible housing loans and other forms of financial assistance form part of the strategy, with further detail to come from the relevant institutions. The President linked the programme to the major land reclamation now under way in the Greater Malé Area.
The Numbers Behind the Target
The scale of the commitment is set out in the Greater Malé housing policy released earlier this year. It covers 22,900 homes in total, made up of 15,000 land plots and 7,900 flats, allocated across Hulhumalé, Gulhifalhu, Giraavaru Falhu and Rasmalé.
The policy works on two tiers. Residents registered in Malé’s house registry or municipal registry for at least a year can apply for plots and flats at any of the four sites. People who have lived continuously in Malé for fifteen years without that registration qualify for Rasmalé only. Applicants must be at least eighteen, must not already own more than 400 square feet of property, and must not have received housing under an earlier government scheme.
Rasmalé, the planned city on the reclaimed Fushidhiggaru lagoon, carries much of the weight. The President inaugurated the reclamation as the flagship of the programme, and the government has said the site is intended to accommodate tens of thousands of housing units over time.
Reclamation First, Construction Next
The sequencing explains the mid 2028 framing. Reclamation has been the visible activity so far, and vertical construction on most of the announced sites has yet to begin in earnest. Moving from serviced land to occupied homes requires utilities, roads, drainage and contractor mobilisation on several sites at once, which is where the timeline will be tested.
Financing is the second variable. A programme built around plots as well as flats depends on households being able to borrow, which is why the President placed housing loans and financial assistance alongside construction in his remarks. The terms of those facilities, and how quickly they reach applicants, will shape how many families can act on an allocation once they receive one.
What to Watch
Three markers will indicate whether the mid 2028 target holds. The first is the award and mobilisation of construction contracts at Rasmalé and Giraavaru Falhu, since nothing else moves until builders are on site. The second is the publication of the loan and assistance terms, which determines the real cost to a household. The third is the handover schedule for units already under construction in Hulhumalé and Gulhifalhu, which will be the first visible evidence of delivery.
The President said the relevant institutions will share further details in due course.
