The Maldives Airports Company Ltd. (MACL) has signed an agreement with the Road Development Corporation (RDC) to renovate the roads of Hulhulé Island, home to the main Velana International Airport (VIA). The contract was signed on Sunday, marking the first time MACL has outsourced such a project to a local company.
The agreement includes regular road renovations and the construction of roads affected by seasonal flooding. It also covers resurfacing the airport’s land-side roads, pothole repairs, and road line markings. Additional responsibilities include cleaning the stormwater drainage system, pavements, and walkways, and managing waste in areas designated by MACL.
Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed, CEO and Managing Director of MACL, and Brigadier General (Rtd) Ali Zuhair, Managing Director of RDC, signed the agreement. In his speech at the signing ceremony, Mohamed expressed his hope that RDC’s expertise and manpower would expedite MACL’s work across the airport.
“MACL is an organisation that operates a municipality, a city, and an aviation hub. I anticipate that, with your [RDC’s] proficiency and workforce, our endeavours in these three domains will be accelerated,” said Ibrahim.
Mohamed acknowledged that while MACL has a dedicated internal team for such work, emergency tasks often disrupt the in-house team’s routine work, leading to various issues. He expressed optimism that the partnership with RDC would alleviate these challenges.
At the event, Zuhair extended his gratitude to the management and staff of MACL. He also revealed RDC’s plans to take on more projects from state-owned companies. With this agreement, MACL aims to develop the land-side roads of the airport to modern standards, ensuring a smoother and safer experience for all users.