President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has welcomed Google's decision to invest in the development of a new international submarine cable landing station and network facility in Hithadhoo, Addu City, describing it as a landmark investment that underscores global confidence in the Maldives’ investment environment.
This investment, initiated following discussions between President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and Google executives in New York in September 2024, marks a major step in enhancing the Maldives' role in the global digital economy.
In a post on X, the President said Google’s decision to invest in the Maldives is a strong signal of confidence in the Maldives’ stable and open investment environment, and a direct contribution to his vision for a diversified, inclusive, and digitised Maldivian economy.
“As the world moves rapidly toward an era defined by digital transformation and artificial intelligence, this project reflects how the Maldives is positioning itself at the crossroads of global connectivity — leveraging our strategic geography to create new economic opportunities for our people and to participate meaningfully in the future of the global economy,” he wrote.
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade also welcomed the investment, noting that it will enhance the Maldives’ digital capabilities and drive economic growth while elevating the Maldives’ position in global technology and digital trade.
According to the Ministry, the new facility in Addu will be capable of supporting the landing of multiple international submarine cable systems. Together with associated digital hosting and network infrastructure, the project will strengthen the Maldives' position as a trusted and secure digital gateway linking Asia, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Valued at tens of millions of dollars, the investment places the Maldives at the centre of a new digital connectivity corridor across the Indian Ocean. With international connectivity points now established in the north at Kulhudhuffushi, the centre in Greater Male’, and the south in Hithadhoo, the Maldives is developing a geographically distributed network that enhances both national resilience and international relevance.
Google's investment underscores the Maldives' growing attractiveness for high-value global investors and highlights the country's potential to develop new sectors such as cloud services, fintech, digital content, and technology start-ups. The project represents a key milestone in the government's efforts to diversify the economy beyond tourism and create high-skilled, future-ready employment opportunities for Maldivians.
The Ministry added the government values Google's engagement of the country's leading telecommunications providers, Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives, as local experts supporting the development of this project. Their participation reflects Google's commitment to ensuring that local expertise, knowledge transfer, and value creation form a meaningful part of the project's implementation, it said.
This investment aligns with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's broader national development agenda, which prioritises digital transformation and infrastructure development as key drivers of economic growth and diversification. It also reinforces the Maldives' role as a strategic partner in advancing secure and resilient digital connectivity across the Indian Ocean region.
The government expressed its sincere appreciation to Google for its confidence in the Maldives and reaffirms its commitment to facilitating the successful delivery of this transformative project.