Business
200 plus strong delegation to promote Maldives at ATM 2023
The Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the largest tourism fair in the Middle East, will begin in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Thursday. Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is heading to Dubai this time to promote ‘Sunny Side of Life’ with a delegation that has never attended an ATM event before.
At ATM 2023, Maldives will be promoted in a stand of 429 square metres — the biggest stand the Maldives has hosted at an ATM event. The Maldives’ stand has been designed to show the natural beauty of the country to visitors.
Large signboards with the name Maldives are placed at every corner of the stand. On the main entrance leading to the stand, underneath the ‘Maldives’ signboard is a model of the much-loved whale shark that tourists visit the Maldives to witness.

The ground at the entrance is designed to show wave patterns. What adds to the scene is the sight of LED panels installed on the ground to showcase manta rays and other breath-taking life forms that often wow visitors to the Maldives. When you walk a little further and walk into the stand, you can see on the ground of the entire stand a painting that looks like the beautiful white sand from the beaches of the country.


Even on the inner walls, the country’s palm trees and beaches have been painted. A 360 degree photo booth has been set up to give the opportunity to those who want to shoot the scenes in ‘slow motion’.
The four walls of the stand are surrounded by counters of exhibitors who had gone to promote the country. There will be meeting tables and floating tables in the opposite direction.

The mezzanine floor of this large also comprises exhibitors’ counters. And looking up, the LED panels installed on the ceiling show what a visitor would see when they look up to the sky from under the shade of a coconut palm tree. The mezzanine floor is sheltered in the same way that the Maldivians had traditionally sheltered their homes; with palm thatch.

ATM 2023:
- The fair will be held from Monday to Thursday
- A total of 202 individuals representing 90 companies will represent the Maldives, in addition to MMPRC officials
- On the second day of the fair, a press conference titled ‘Maldives Media Meet’ will be held; MMPRC Managing Director Thoyyib Mohamed, Maldivian ambassador to the UAE Aiminath Shabina and Maldives Underwater Initiative Base Leader Greg Holder will meet the press
In order to further promote the country among those visiting the Maldives stand at ATM, MMPRC will distribute promotional materials. These include Maldives Product Directory 2023, as well as Maldives Destination Guide 2023 in both English and Arabic, along with small items related to the Maldives.
Work on the Maldives’ stand is almost complete. While the final preparations are still going on in the stand, the MMPRC team is also deployed there.

Middle Eastern market
Tourist arrivals from the Middle East declined by 21.8% in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period last year. Official figures released by the tourism ministry show:
- 21,127 tourists arrived from the Middle East in the first three months of last year; 16,516 tourists arrived in the same period this year
- Saudi Arabian market has witnessed a major slowdown this year
- The highest number of tourists from the Middle East come from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Kuwait
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.
-
News1 week agoPulse Hotels & Resorts unveils Aura Maldives, a mindful luxury sanctuary
-
News1 week agoSun Siyam Iru Fushi sets new nenchmark with 24 Hour Premium All Inclusive Dine Around
-
Fitness1 week agoOUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru launches expanded wellness programming for 2026
-
Action1 week agoSheraton Maldives Full Moon celebrates sixth anniversary of Reefscapers collaboration
-
Cooking1 week agoPatina Maldives hosts Chef Shannon Bennett for exclusive April residency
-
Featured1 week agoYou & Me Maldives unveils curated Premium All Inclusive programme
-
Awards1 week agoCentara Mirage Lagoon Maldives named Luxury Family Friendly Resort of the Year
-
Cooking1 week agoSun Siyam Olhuveli hosts Italian Chef Francesca Gambacorta at Milano restaurant


