Regulation & duties
Government sets up a state-owned company to develop resorts for all citizens
The wholly state-owned company is to develop and operate resorts under a plan for at least 10 in three years, with profits shared among Maldivians.
Regulation & duties · 2026-11-11 · Drafted with AI assistance and edited by the newsroom
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has established Dhivehinge Resort Hissa Corporation (DRHC), a wholly state-owned enterprise, Voice reported on 9 November. The company is to develop and operate international-standard resorts and other tourism facilities with a focus on environmental protection and renewable energy, create jobs and technical training for Maldivians, raise foreign-currency revenue, and work with local and foreign investors.
It follows the President's 2026 address at the opening of Parliament, where he said the Cabinet had approved developing at least 10 resorts through state-owned companies over three years, with a significant share of profits paid in foreign currency to all citizens. Preliminary estimates put the average at at least USD 400 per citizen a year once the resorts are operating, and a law would make every citizen a shareholder in the resorts developed under the project.
A December 2025 amendment to the Tourism Act allows state-owned companies to allocate islands, land or lagoons for resorts.