President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has re-established the types of economic activities permitted and minimum investment threshold for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the Maldives under Act No. 24/2014 (Special Economic Zones Act).
This was announced via Presidential Decree No. 1/2026 issued today.
Section 22 (a) of Act No. 24/2014 (Special Economic Zones Act) stipulates that a Presidential Decree must be issued annually, in consultation with the Board of Investments, specifying the types of economic activities that can be conducted in SEZs as well as the minimum investment threshold for such activities. Subsequent Section 22 (c) states that such a decision must be reviewed before February of each year and announced.
With this, the Presidential Decree No. 1/2025 was reviewed, specifying the types of economic activities permitted and the minimum investment threshold, and published in the Government Gazette as part of Presidential Decree No. 1/2026.
The economic activities permitted in SEZs have been specified as investments of not less than USD 100 million, and sustainable township development projects requiring investments of not less than USD 500 million.
Among strategic investments, nine types of activities have been included under the minimum investment requirement of USD 100 million. They are:
Export-oriented manufacturing activities
Transhipment ports, international logistics, ports, airports, bulk breaking, bunkering and docking services
Universities, tertiary hospitals, specialty hospitals and world-class research and development facilities
World-class Information Communication Technology (ICT) parks and related facilities
International financial services and international trade centres
Renewable energy sector
Activities introducing new technologies currently unavailable in the Maldives
Food security sector
Gas, oil, and mineral exploration activities
For sustainable township development projects requiring minimum investments of USD 500 million, the Decree further stipulates that this minimum investment must be allocated specifically to sustainable township development components.