President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has established the types of economic activities permitted and minimum investment threshold for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the Maldives under Act No. 24/2014 (Special Economic Zones Act).

This was announced on Sunday, 12^th January 2025, via a Presidential Decree No. 1/2025.

The economic activities permitted in SEZs have been categorised into two types: investments of not less than 100 million US dollars, and sustainable township development projects requiring investments of not less than 500 million US dollars.

Strategic investment areas to be considered among investment of not less than 100 million US dollars include:

1. Export focused manufacturing activities
2. Transshipment ports, international logistics services, ports, airports, bulk breaking, bunkering and docking services
3. Universities, tertiary hospitals, super specialist hospitals, and establishment of world-class research facilities.
4. Information Communications Technology (ICT) parks and ancillary facilities related to ICT
5. International financial services and international trade hubs
6. Renewable energy
7. Projects that introduce new technologies to the Maldives
8. Projects focused on enhancing food security
9. Gas exploration

The Presidential Decree also notes that investment proposals within the 100 million US dollars threshold should allocate at least 50% of the total investment to the strategic areas noted above. Further, for investment proposals received for sustainable township development, the minimum threshold of 500 million US dollars shall be utilized solely for components of sustainable township development.