MALDIVES: Floating boating community wins approvals

Dutch Docklands Maldives has received the final go ahead for its Maldives Floating City development. The Maldives Government Economic Council has approved it to run under its Integrated Tourism Model.

The project, which covers a lagoon area of over 200ha (500+ acres), will be a true boating mixed community with thousands of homes. Canals will be used as main gateways and thoroughfares, with land-based movement restricted to walking, biking and the use of electric buggies and scooters. No cars will be allowed.
Artificial coral banks will be attached to the underside of the city, which will stimulate coral to grow naturally and thus create blue habitats. The submerged and protected coral reefs of the lagoon will provide a natural wave breaker that, in combination with the interrelated grid of floating structures, should provide comfort and safety for residents.
The city’s roads and canals have a nature-based structure that resembles the beautiful and efficient way in which real brain coral is organised.
Dutch Docklands Maldives is acting in Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Maldives Government, and CEO Paul Van de Camp signed the agreement with Ministry of Tourism representatives on Thursday 23rd June.
A first block of floating homes is under construction by Bison and is due to be transported to the lagoon and opened this month (August) after the school holidays. This will enable the public to visit and see them first hand. The blocks incorporate the latest in floating technology from the Netherlands and will be tethered to the lagoon floor and linked together.
The marine engineering, technical details and specifications for the development have been completed, and construction will begin immediately after remaining government approvals have been granted. The modular city construction is accordingly scheduled for January 2023 and will take four to five years to complete. The masterplan architect is Netherlands-based Waterstudio.