Maldives Reaffirms SEZ Strategy, Targeting Big Capital Across Nine Key Sectors

The Government has reaffirmed its Special Economic Zones (SEZ) framework, maintaining a high-investment model focused on nine strategic sectors, through a new presidential decree that restates both the eligible economic activities and minimum capital requirements for investors.

Under Presidential Decree No. 1/2026, issued by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, the administration has formally reviewed and re-established the parameters set out in the Special Economic Zones Act, in line with the law’s requirement for an annual review and publication of SEZ eligibility criteria. The move preserves continuity in policy while providing regulatory certainty for prospective large-scale investors.

The SEZ Act mandates that the President, in consultation with the Board of Investments, specify each year the types of activities permitted within SEZs and the minimum investment thresholds applicable to those activities. The law also requires that this determination be reviewed before February and announced through a formal decree. As part of this statutory process, provisions previously set out under Presidential Decree No. 1/2025 were reviewed and republished in the Government Gazette under the new 2026 decree.

The decree maintains two key investment thresholds. Strategic investments must involve a minimum capital commitment of USD 100 million, while sustainable township development projects are subject to a significantly higher threshold of USD 500 million. For township developments, the decree specifies that the full minimum amount must be allocated specifically to sustainable township components.

Nine categories of strategic economic activity are permitted under the USD 100 million threshold. These include export-oriented manufacturing, transhipment and international logistics services, ports and airports, higher education institutions and specialised hospitals, world-class research and development facilities, ICT parks, international financial services and trade centres, renewable energy projects, food security initiatives, gas, oil and mineral exploration, and projects introducing technologies not currently available in the Maldives.

By reissuing the annual decree without altering the core structure, the Government has signalled its intention to maintain a large-scale, capital-intensive SEZ model. Officials say the approach is designed to attract major foreign and domestic investment while ensuring that only projects of significant economic impact qualify for special economic zone status.