Business
Renowned hotelier Didi, Indian billionaire Abhishek Verma announce strategic alliance to invest in Maldives
Legendary Maldivian hotelier Ibrahim Mohammed Didi and Indian billionaire Abhishek Verma has announced a strategic alliance to invest in Maldives, especially in the island nation’s lucrative tourism industry.
The agreement signed on February 9 by Didi and Verma’s Olialia World covers five strategic investments in the Maldives, including the recently announced Olialia New Maldives concept.
The development concept includes the construction of four luxury hotels, Chariots of the Gods theme park, a shipping and container port, a Special Economic Zone with offshore banking and export zones for seafood and poultry, a freight terminal, helicopter service across the Maldives with a fleet of 10 twin engine helicopters, an 18-hole golf course, housing project for upmarket villas and chalets, a bank, two hospitals containing about 300 inpatient beds each, and monorail between the islands of the northern atolls of Maldives along with a five-kilometre connecting bridge.
“The concept would be submitted to the Maldivian authorities for approval in due course,” Olialia and Didi’s SIMDI Group said, in a joint statement.
Under the deal, the alliance will take over certain five star resorts in the Maldives owned by the Didi family, and rebrand those as Olialia Island Resorts and operate those under a management contract.
The five-point deal also includes the promotion and distribution of Olialia FMCG products such as cigarettes, cola, juices, confectionary, scented supari, herbal mouth fresheners and pan masala through the sales outlets and channel partners of SIMDI Group.
Other salient features of the strategic alliance formed by the two business moguls include the setting up of Olialia poultry and mariculture farms in existing islands owned by the Didi family, for export and domestic consumption.
The strategic alliance also includes the takeover and rebranding of the IMDC Hospital in Maldives as Olialia IMDC Hospital and to operate it under a management contract.
“Verma family company ‘Olialia Healthcare’ will extend the facilities in the hospital for high end medical tourism, cosmetic/plastic surgery, adding water villas and chalets and bringing in renowned European doctors for various faculties of the hospital,” the statement read.
Didi is a legendary hotelier who revolutionised the Maldives tourism industry by developing the iconic Kanuhura resort under the One&Only brand with hotel magnate Sir Sol Kerzner. He owns several other properties in Maldives and around the world. The trading businesses owned by him under SIMDI Group are amongst the leading companies in the Maldives, representing some of the world’s major brands.
Abhishek Verma, who serves as the Chief Evangelist of Olialia World, is a successful industrialist, owning a number of conglomerates in defence sector, FMCG and aviation industries. According to Forbes Europe, his wife Anca Verma, who is also a leading figure in the Olialia business, is the richest Romanian in the world and one of the wealthiest female billionaires of Europe.
Lately, Olialia World has been focussing on the Maldives in order to expand its operations to the beautiful archipelago in the Indian ocean.
Olialia brand’s Lithuanian co-founders — Justas Tomkus and his wife Rasa Tomkiene, and Rytis Tomkus — had initiated the Verma family in 2011 to invest in the development of Maldives. The plans culminated in success when in October 2017, Olialia India Private Limited was invited by the Maldives government to construct an international airport near a huge lagoon located far away from the island nation’s capital city of Male.
Plans are already underway to build the Olialia International Airport project, under the Build, Own and Transfer (BOT) model.
Maldives on Thursday welcomed the one millionth tourist to visit this year.
The one millionth tourist is a Thai named Sutapa Amonwivat, who arrived from Singapore with her husband and two children. This is her second visit to Maldives.
Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and the Ministry of Tourism gave a warm welcome to Sutapa at the Velana International Airport (VIA) Thursday afternoon. She was welcomed at the VIA by tourism minister Ibrahim Faisal, MMPRC Managing Director Ibrahim Shiury and senior officials of various relevant agencies.
After welcoming her with traditional offerings, she was presented with various gifts by the ministry, MMPRC, customs, immigration, Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) and Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA).
Maldives reached one million tourists in June, three weeks earlier than last year. The number of tourists reached one million on July 16, 2023.
Maldives expects to reach 2 million tourists this year.
Chongqing Airlines on Monday began its inaugural flights to Maldives.
The Chongqing-Male route, scheduled three times a week, is expected to strengthen the bonds between China and the Maldives, opening up exciting new opportunities for tourism and cultural exchange.
The inaugural flight was welcomed upon its arrival at Velana International Airport (VIA) in Maldives, where local officials and tourism representatives expressed their enthusiasm for this new development.
“We warmly welcome our friends from China to our beautiful islands. This new connection strengthens our bonds and opens up new opportunities for tourism,” the tourism ministry said on X.
Maldives currently welcomes four airlines from China, including China Eastern, Beijing Capital Airlines, Xiamen Airlines.
In January, Maldives government urged tourism stakeholders in both Maldives and China to ramp up efforts to restore China’s position as the primary source market for Maldives tourism, a status held before the onset of Covid-19.
China, being the largest source market for Maldives tourism before the pandemic, saw a resumption of tourist arrivals from January 2023 after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. In 2023, the Maldives welcomed 187,118 Chinese tourists, marking a significant recovery in numbers. This year, the Maldives has welcomed the most number of tourists from China, with over 107,940 or 11.5 percent of total arrivals by June 12.
CROSSROADS Maldives has introduced WeChat Pay, widely known as Weixin Pay in China, across its world-class resorts, SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. This payment option is made available to enhance the convenience and overall experience for guests from China, making their stay in the Maldives more enjoyable and hassle-free.
Understanding the needs of the diverse guests, CROSSROADS Maldives has integrated WeChat Pay into operations, allowing guests from China to easily and securely conduct transactions using a payment method familiar to them. The introduction of WeChat Pay is a testament to CROSSROADS Maldives’ dedication to enhancing guest satisfaction by offering exceptional experiences at every turn. What is also expected through this initiative is that the guests could benefit from better foreign exchange rates, translating to better savings on their expenditures during their stay.
The option is available for guests in-house conveniently at both resorts as well as across the Marina at CROSSROADS Maldives where a wider variety of unparalleled dining and retail experiences are available for all guests. The day visitors from China will also therefore equally benefit from this new introduction at the Maldives’ premier multi-island integrated leisure destination.
SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, is a vibrant tropical escape that offers unique and locally inspired experiences. The resort features spacious rooms and villas, a variety of dining options, and an array of recreational activities designed to cater to the desires of modern travellers. Guests can escape to the island’s SAiisational natural beauty, enjoy water sports, and indulge in spa treatments, all while relishing the personalised service that defines Hilton’s Curio Collection.
Hard Rock Hotel Maldives brings the iconic Hard Rock spirit to the tranquil shores of the Maldives. This family-friendly resort offers a perfect blend of relaxation and entertainment, featuring music-inspired experiences, live performances, and the brand’s signature amenities. With luxurious accommodations, diverse dining options, and a plethora of activities for all ages, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives ensures an unforgettable holiday experience for every guest.
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