The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Maldives Ports Limited (MPL), Mohamd Wajeeh Ibrahim, has said that both the Malé North Harbour and the T-jetty will be relocated to Thilafushi, along with the Malé Commercial Port.
Wajeeh said the relocation of the commercial port was a priority for the new administration, noting that President Mohamed Muizzu had started the work since the first day he took office. The project will look to relocate and establish the commercial port at Thilafushi within five years, he said.
“In the future, the North Harbour will also move to this area [Thilafushi]. T-jetty is usually a place where goods are sent to resorts and other businesses. It will also move to this area,” Wajeeh said.
The land required for the construction of the commercial port has now been reclaimed, he said. Design work is currently underway and the aim is to complete the facility by 2026, Wajeeh said.
“When the port is completed, there will be a 600-metre international quay-wall. It can serve three large ships at once. The contractor is almost ready to start the work. The land has been reclaimed, we will be able to sign with the contractor and start work by early April”. Wajeeh said.
It takes between five and nine days to empty a cargo ship; however, the duration will be reduced to two or three days with the relocation of the port to Thilafushi, according to MPL.