President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced that the new terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA) was inaugurated on the 60th Independence Day of the Maldives because it was the most important ‘pillar’ to Maldivian economic independence.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the new terminal, President Muizzu said that success is achieved through hard work and the ceremony marked the conclusion of such a great achievement. The end of a decade-long wait is seeing the country benefitting from the airport’s new terminal, he said.
He said he had decided to celebrate the inauguration with the Independence Day celebrations for a very important reason. The new terminal of the national airport is linked to economic freedom, he said.
The President said the new terminal is a huge step forward for development of the Maldives. He thanked the government of former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom and the government of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for their contributions to the project.
After the two former governments, when his government took over in 2023, it would have been delayed for another 1.5 years if all those involved had not worked together, he said.
The President said, “We must be resolute to remember that we are one. We share the same history. We are all proudly Maldivians. The nation should be prioritized above all else. We should speak with a unified voice for the benefit of the country”.
The President said that only then can we do good for this country and it is the responsibility of everyone to do good for the country.
The construction of the new terminal was funded by Saudi Arabia, with a contract worth approximately MVR 5.3 billion awarded in 2016 to Saudi Binladin Group under the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen. The new terminal project was then carried out under the government of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih after changing the design of the building.
After the Muizzu government took over, additional funds were allocated for the new terminal project. Upon completion, the new international terminal at VIA was inaugurated on July 26, 2025 with a drone show and a historical fireworks display from 19 locations around Male’ city.
The new terminal at VIA has been designed to serve 7.5 million passengers annually.