A redevelopment of one of the capital's busiest maritime arteries is underway, as Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) initiates a reorganisation of Malé’s North Harbour. The effort, according to MPL, is expected to triple vessel capacity and substantially reduce docking delays.
The overhaul stems from MPL's assumption of operational control in early July over the harbour area extending to the fish market, formerly administered by the Malé City Council. With this transfer, both the commercial port and north harbour now fall under MPL's purview.
Speaking on TVM's 'Hendhunu Hendhunaa' morning show, Ahmed Hamdhullah Rasheed, MPL's assistant general manager for north harbour management, offered insight into the scope of the expansion. Where the quaywall previously accommodated 32 to 34 vessels, he noted, the reconfigured basin will handle approximately 99 simultaneously.
That increased capacity has been organised into discrete berthing zones to facilitate smoother operations. MPL has designated 25 berths for waiting, 54 for cargo and passenger traffic, and 20 for fishing vessels. The cross-jetty, Rasheed said, has also been repurposed to streamline the offloading of fish before departure.
The operational shift is expected to ease persistent congestion, with MPL indicating that vessels, previously subject to five-day waits for quaywall access, will now secure berths within one to two days under the revised system. At present, north harbour accommodates roughly 130 vessels each month.
Alongside the capacity expansion, MPL is introducing a series of infrastructural upgrades aimed at enhancing service delivery and maritime safety. Efforts are underway to zone the harbour by function, while repair work addresses infrastructure that has been in use for over 14 years.
One of the most critical updates, Rasheed elaborated, involves the installation of a new mooring system inside the basin. Ten precast concrete blocks, produced in Thilafushi, will be submerged and secured via chains to provide stable mooring points. Each block measures five feet by five feet, with a thickness of 1.5 feet and a weight of roughly five tonnes.
Plans also include the addition of fuel and water provisioning services, alongside expanded storage facilities, Rasheed said. As part of MPL's broader efforts to secure the expanded harbour, surveillance cameras and access checkpoints will be introduced.