Business

Maldives gets praise as unparalleled natural wonder

Published

3 years ago

May 8, 2023

“Maldivian? You are lucky,” is the kind of response I got while I was covering the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) fair in Dubai when anyone realised I was from Maldives.

These people were in a city popular as a modern and high-end tourism destination that flourished in the barren desert of the UAE. Starting with beautiful beaches and luxury services, it’s also home to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. It is also the UAE’s main business hub. But for almost all of them, it was the tiny island nation of Maldives that has stolen their heart.

There was a man standing near Maldives’ beautiful stand at the ATM fair. He was watching people who had climbed into the 360 photo booths set up in the stand and was clicking pictures. When I asked him if the stand was nice, he said it was beautiful. Although the stand showcased the country’s scenery, the man had never been to the Maldives.

“I’ve never been to the Maldives yet, but someday [I’ll go]. It’s on my bucket list,” he said.

Everyone who came to the Maldives stand during the fair made similar comments. Maldives, which won the Best Stand Feature award at the fair, was lauded.

A big portion of Dubai’s three million strong population is workers from different countries. From taxi and delivery services to tourism business and other sectors, foreigners are often seen at different levels in different sectors. I got to meet and speak to so many of them every day.

I discussed Dubai with a Pakistani taxi driver I met one day. Since I was not on vacation and had not been out sight-seeing much, I told the driver that all i saw were high-rise buildings and not much else. His next question to me was where I was from. When I said I was from the Maldives, he did not know which country it was. So I Googled and showed him pictures of Maldives on my phone.

“It is so beautiful! I have never seen a place like this,” he replied, widening his eyes and responding in the exact same way that anyone who sees Maldives for the first time does.

“If this is where you come from, how will you like anywhere else?”

During my visit to the ATM fair, I met someone who had worked in the Maldives in the past. The Indian had moved to Dubai and now works at a hotel there.

“I used to work at a resort in the Maldives, but due to the pandemic, I lost my job and had to go back,” he said.

Asking about the situation in the Maldives post-pandemic, he said he still wants to return to Maldives. He said there is no place like the Maldives.

Not without reason. I also asked various people I met like this about life in Dubai. Everyone says that in Dubai they earn much better than working in their own countries. According to them, it is also easier to get a UAE visa.

Then there is the question of the cost of visiting the Maldives. Everyone I met said they wanted to go to Maldives even if for once in their lives. Their question is how to manage the big responsibilities in their lives and make the trip to visit an expensive place like Maldives.

It’s true. The Maldives is an exotic tourist destination. That’s how it is known for. But with guesthouse tourism, there is now a chance to experience the Maldives on a budget. In addition to that, there are budget airlines operating to the country. I passed this information on and told them that people from different walks of life can experience the Maldives now.

People’s praise rained on Maldives even at a high-end place like Dubai. Those who have visited still want to come back again. Those who have not, are waiting for the opportunity.

Arab businessmen also know that there is no place like the Maldives. The Maldives has won the World’s Leading Destination, the most prestigious award given by the World Travel Awards, for three consecutive years since 2020. Dubai was on the nominated list of places on all three occasions.

The Maldives has set an example for Saudi Arabia in their efforts to enter the tourism sector as part of their economic diversification plans. Efforts are underway to develop resorts similar to those in the Maldives and open some of them this year. The Maldives is a unique place. The concept of ‘One Island, One Resort’ has been developed and mastered by the Maldives, unique to the Maldives and accepted by the whole world.

The next question is whether the replication of Maldivian resort concepts in another country will have any negative impact on the demand for resorts in the Maldives.

When asked about this on the last day of the ATM, MMPRC Managing Director Thoyyib Mohamed said that Maldivian tourism will be adversely affected if efforts are not made to promote the Maldives, regardless of the concept being recreated or not.

“There will be places that are like ours, or different from the Maldives. There will be in the future too. But will that have an impact? It will affect us even if it is not like Maldives if we stay idle like this without working,” he said.

“We have to explain how we are unique, what are the natural differences, and our experience is that we we always explain what food is available where, what can be done at different locations and explain the specialised features of different resorts. This is what we try to sell. We see if we can describe the experiences that could be had in the country and promote it.”

Thoyyib’s point was that we need not focus on the fact that places similar to the Maldives are being built, but rather, focus on how we can better market the Maldives to the world as the unique travel destination it is. The idea should be to market it properly. Both at the ATM fair and in Dubai, people’s perception of the Maldives and the level of demand for the place was evident. All that is left is to advertise properly.

Rich Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia can build facilities similar to Maldivian resorts. But the experience here is not something that can be replicated. Historical places cannot be copied. The beauty of the country is purely natural. Even if imitated, it will not be as perfect as is divinely crafted.

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Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space

Published

2 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

m@ldives

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

Published

2 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

m@ldives

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.

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Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah

Published

1 month ago

January 29, 2026

m@ldives

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.