Business
Maldives welcomes first butler training academy
Maldives has welcomed its first ever indigenous butler training academy.
The Maldives Butler Academy says it aims to develop professional butlers in country’s lucrative the tourism and hospitality industry.
At a special function held Thursday afternoon, the tourism ministry officially recognised the academy through a partnership agreement. Tourism minister Dr Abdulla Mausoom and Mohamed Yamany, the Principal and Trainer of Maldives Butler Academy, signed the agreement.
The tourism minister expressed his gratitude on the initiative taken by Maldives Butler Academy to provide certified courses for hospitality and tourism professionals.
“This initiative will be a game changer to the tourism industry. As part of the ministry’s master plan to provide more opportunities for locals, we believe the Maldives Butler Academy will assist us in producing top level butlers for the industry,” he said.
“The ministry intends to introduce new tourism sectors to Maldives such as real estate tourism and private island tourism under the new act. Hence, there is a need for more local certified butlers as we want more locals to be involved in higher paying positions.”

The Minister also noted that the Ministry of Tourism endorse the trained butlers and discussion are taking place with Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA) to get an approved certification level.
Yamany said that each year there are a number of butler trainings conducted by foreign firms whose programmes are more designed towards city hotels. There is a need for an indigenous butler training programme, he added.
“The butler training course by Maldives Butler Academy has been designed with the input of many of the veterans of the Maldives hospitality industry,” he said.
“Through this academy, we hope to accentuate the growth of Butlers in the Maldives, providing structure to training that helps the talented hoteliers to take the step to the next level in personalised service.”

The initiative is in line with the Maldivian government’s efforts to improve and provide opportunities for the locals here in Maldives and assist them in growing in their respective careers.
Yamany has almost two decades of extensive hospitality experience, having worked with several international hotel brands such as Soneva, Six Senses, Four Seasons and Anantara to name a few. He has worked in locations like Vietnam, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and the Maldives.
Throughout his career, Yamany held top positions within Learning and Development, Quality Management, Operational Excellence and recently overall Human Resources departments.
He also lectured at the Maldives National University and has conducted training programmes on topics such as time management, coaching, and leadership development both at resorts and colleges throughout the Maldives.
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.
-
Drink1 week agoProvence comes to Maldives with Château Minuty dinner at Milaidhoo Maldives
-
News1 week agoThe Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands launches conservation programme for environmental observances
-
Cooking1 week agoWomen at heart of kitchen: Milaidhoo Maldives marks International Women’s Day through gastronomy
-
Action1 week agoAtmosphere Foundation launches annual dive training scholarship for Maldivians
-
Featured1 week agoCity Iftar experience curated at JEN Maldives by Shangri-La
-
Family1 week agoEaster goes playful at The Standard, Maldives with week-long Angry Birds celebration
-
Entertainment1 week ago‘One festival, every sense’: Fari Islands Festival announces August 2026 return
-
Drink1 week agoSO/ Maldives hosts tequila tasting and Lazuli Bar takeover for National Margarita Day


