Business
Visit Maldives hosts important events in Dubai
Visit Maldives has hosted several events on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) on May 17.
The two events, Maldives Media Meet and Connect with Maldives, Your Safe Haven, were hosted for the Middle Eastern media and the travel trade respectively.
The Maldives Media Meet press event was attended by key travel trade media of the UAE and Middle Eastern region.
Speakers at the event were Thoyyib Mohamed, Managing Director of Visit Maldives, Aminath Shabeena, Maldivian ambassador in the UAE, and Fathimath Afra, Deputy Chief Marketing Officer of Visit Maldives.

During the Maldives Media Meet, key updates from the Maldives were shared.
Thoyyib addressed the topics of how Maldives is tackling the pandemic and strategic opening of borders for the revival of tourism, updates of health and safety measures, “I’m Vaccinated” campaign to vaccinate all tourism industry employees, as well as the future initiatives such as the celebration of 50 years of tourism in the Maldives.
Shabeena talked on the angle of foreign policy and updated on the ongoing discussion between the two governments on establishing a travel corridor which is anticipated to happen in the near future.
Marketing challenges and recovery strategies during the pandemic, plans for the Middle Eastern and GCC markets were revealed by Afra.
Plans for important activities in the pipeline such as the World Expo 2020 to be held in Dubai in October and the Explore Maldives Live, to bring Maldives experiences on livestream for the Middle Eastern Market on the My Virtual Maldives Platform were highlighted.

The event ended with a question and answer session in which there was a lot of interest shown by the journalists towards the destination and answers were given to queries on the travel information and travel corridor between UAE and the Maldives.
The press conference was followed by a roadshow titled ‘Connect with Maldives; Your Safe Haven’.
The one-day roadshow targeting Dubai-based travel agents and tour operators created the opportunity for Maldives tourism industry partners to connect with over 50 key travel trade partners from the Middle Eastern market.
A total of 10 Maldives tourism industry partners representing resorts and DMCs participated at the event.
The participants had the opportunity to showcase their properties, products and highlight the unique experiences available at each of the respective properties as well as generate new business leads and engage in one-on-one networking opportunities.

Visit Maldives related information about the destination and the four products; resorts, guest houses, liveaboards and hotels.
Information was given out during the speed networking session on the latest information for travel to the Maldives and why the Maldives remains a safe destination for travel at this time due to its geographic formation of isolated islands, the one island one resort concept and the stringent health and safety measures in place.
During the evening, popular travel blogger and influencer from the Middle East, Sana Chikhalia shared her experiences of holidaying in the Maldives and talked about the beauty of the destination.
Attendees had the opportunity to take part in a raffle and win a free holiday at Sun Siyam Olhuveli resort.
In addition, the much anticipated ‘Tales of Maldives’ campaign was launched by the Managing Director of Visit Maldives Thoyyib.
The Tales of Maldives is part of the Story of Maldives campaign which is an integrated marketing campaign to help kickstart a journey towards achieving a powerful brand resonance and identity.
The aim of the campaign is to present creative, engaging and memorable content that will leave a long lasting footprint of the Maldives on the travellers’ minds, ultimately helping create a deep rooted emotional connection and love for the Maldives, culture, folklore, natural assets and experiences.
These were the first in-person events held in the market since the onset of the pandemic. During each of these events, Thoyyib thanked the media and travel trade respectively for the support they have shown to the Maldives during the most challenging times.
In line with the objective to maintain brand visibility and engage travel trade, these events will bring a positive impact to the UAE market and other markets in the GCC region as travel restrictions ease. These activities are conducted by Visit Maldives as part of the recovery action plan for the Middle Eastern market.
Business
Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space
Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has announced the opening of Feydhoo Hall, a landmark event venue at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives, redefining the possibilities for meetings, celebrations, and destination events in the Maldives.
Designed to bring scale, flexibility, and creativity to island gatherings, Feydhoo Hall represents a bold step forward in positioning the Maldives as a dynamic destination for conferences, weddings, and large-scale social occasions.
Feydhoo Hall offers a versatile event complex designed to accommodate a wide range of gatherings, from corporate meetings and conferences to weddings and social celebrations.

At its core is the 390 sqm Main Hall, capable of hosting:
- Up to 300 guests in theatre-style setup
- Up to 240 guests for dining and banquet-style events
- Up to 200 guests for cocktail-style receptions
- Up to 144 guests in cluster-round configuration
Enhancing the flexibility of the venue are additional dedicated spaces, including:
- A 110 sqm Veranda Terrace, ideal for welcome receptions, breakout sessions, and pre-event gatherings, accommodating up to 100 guests for cocktail-style events.
- A spacious 1,000 sqm Lawn Space, perfect for large-scale outdoor celebrations, destination weddings, and open-air events, accommodating up to 400 guests for cocktail receptions and up to 350 guests for dining setups.
- The 55 sqm Ekugai Meeting Room, designed for smaller meetings and executive sessions, accommodating up to 30 guests in theatre or dining setup and 24 guests in cluster-round format.
Together, these integrated spaces create a seamless indoor-outdoor event experience, allowing planners to design dynamic and personalised event journeys.
True to the dusitD2 brand’s lifestyle-driven philosophy, Feydhoo Hall introduces a fresh approach to meetings and events — where productivity meets creativity in an inspiring island setting.
The venue offers flexible meeting formats designed to suit different event needs, including:
- Half-Day Meeting Package (4 hours) — ideal for focused sessions, executive meetings, and creative workshops.
- Full-Day Meeting Package (8 hours) — designed for immersive conferences, extended workshops, and large-scale corporate gatherings.
These thoughtfully structured packages provide planners with the flexibility to create impactful and seamless experiences, whether hosting intimate strategy sessions or dynamic full-day events.

Located just seven minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives combines accessibility with vibrant lifestyle energy, offering event planners and guests a rare balance between convenience and tropical escape.
With the introduction of Feydhoo Hall, the resort strengthens its position as a versatile destination — not only for leisure travellers but also for international conferences, creative retreats, luxury weddings, and large-scale social celebrations seeking something refreshingly different in the Maldives.
Business
BBM expands retail presence with new Hulhumalé outlet
Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) opened a new wholesale store in Hulhumalé Phase 2 on Monday.
The outlet is located on the ground floor of Lot 20286, Nirolhu Magu, and is intended to improve access to BBM’s imported goods for residents of Hulhumalé Phase 2 and for businesses operating in the area.
According to the company, the opening forms part of its plan to expand services closer to customers in line with population growth in Hulhumalé.
With the opening of the new store, BBM’s full range of imported and distributed products will be available at the Hulhumalé Phase 2 location. These include consumer goods from international brands such as Lifebuoy, Vaseline and Unilever.
The store will also stock wholesale food products from brands including Daily, Cavin’s and Redman.
BBM has supplied goods to resorts, hotels and retail outlets across the Maldives for several years.
Action
Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah
Ataraxis Grand & Spa recently hosted a week-long, closed corporate offsite in Fuvahmulah for a US-based artificial intelligence company, highlighting the island’s growing suitability for integrated work-and-experience retreats. The retreat brought a group of 36 international professionals to the property, which was reserved exclusively for the programme.
Designed as a private company offsite, the stay combined structured daily work sessions with guided diving and beginner-friendly surf experiences, creating a balanced format that blended focused collaboration with physical reset.

A notable component of the programme was dive training and certification. During the retreat, 17 participants completed their Open Water certification, while a further six undertook the Advanced Open Water course, with training and dives scheduled alongside work sessions as part of the integrated itinerary.
Throughout the week, participants worked on-site using dedicated shared spaces supported by reliable high-speed internet, allowing meetings, informal collaboration and scheduled activities to take place within a single, uninterrupted environment. This setup enabled teams to move seamlessly between work periods and organised ocean activities without leaving the property.

Fuvahmulah’s natural and operational advantages formed a key part of the retreat’s appeal. As one of the Maldives’ largest inhabited islands, it offers immediate access to pelagic dive sites, internationally recognised shark diving and surf breaks suitable for instruction, alongside the infrastructure required to support extended group stays.

The offsite reflects a growing preference among technology and knowledge-sector teams for small-scale retreats that prioritise concentrated work environments and team cohesion over traditional conference formats. Such programmes typically involve longer stays and higher per-capita spend, aligning with sustainable, quality-driven tourism models.
The retreat also demonstrates how locally operated properties such as Ataraxis Grand & Spa are supporting this shift by delivering unified environments where accommodation, workspaces, connectivity and curated experiences operate as a single programme rather than separate services.

As organisations continue to explore alternative formats for strategy sessions, team resets and creative offsites, Ataraxis Grand & Spa’s experience positions Fuvahmulah as an increasingly viable destination for integrated corporate retreats.
Ataraxis Grand & Spa offers work-and-dive retreat programmes in Fuvahmulah that combine accommodation, dedicated workspaces, high-speed connectivity and organised diving and surfing.

Further information on retreat formats and dive-inclusive stays is available via the Ataraxis Grand & Spa website.
-
Featured1 week agoYear of the Horse celebrations across Sun Siyam’s Luxury, Privé and Lifestyle resorts
-
Action7 days agoBestbuy Maldives supports health, wellness as Main Sponsor of MNU Marathon 2026
-
Action1 week agoLUX Tennis joins St. Regis Maldives Vommuli to expand active lifestyle programme
-
Love1 week agoKandooma Maldives invites couples to gift island escape this Valentine’s Day
-
Awards1 week agoEllaidhoo Maldives secures HolidayCheck Gold Award for second consecutive year
-
Love7 days agoRomance in nature: Valentine’s week at Eri Maldives
-
Cooking7 days agoMaagiri Hotel invites guests to celebrate Ramadan with daily Iftar
-
Food1 week agoOBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi invites guests to break fast island-style this Ramadan


