Pres. Muizzu: SIDs have turned imitations into ingenuity, challenges into opportunities

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu states Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have turned limitations into ingenuity, distance into connectivity, and challenges into opportunities.

Speaking as the chief guest at the opening of the SIDS Global Business Network (GBN) Forum 2026 and Island Investment Forum (IIF) which are being held in the Maldives, President Muizzu called for SIDS to be recognized as sources of innovation and enterprise, rather than viewed solely through the lens of climate vulnerability.

The President emphasized that vulnerability is only one part of the SIDS story, with the other being determination. He described island nations as having turned limitations into ingenuity, distance into connectivity, and challenges into opportunities.

He said this determination is most evident in the private sector, identifying micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) as key drivers of SIDS economies. He noted that these businesses often develop practical solutions in areas where governments face limitations in acting alone. He further emphasized that the relatively small scale of island nations can serve as an advantage, enabling SIDS to function as laboratories for innovation and incubators for new ideas, technologies and solutions.

The President described digital connectivity as having evolved beyond a communications issue into a form of economic infrastructure capable of supporting trade, financial services, tourism and creative industries. Through the Maldives 2.0 agenda, he said, the country is leveraging digital technology to address the challenges posed by its geographical dispersion and limited scale.

Turning to domestic initiatives, the President highlighted targeted financing programs for start-ups and young entrepreneurs, including dedicated support for women-led businesses. He also pointed to the modernization of the Foreign Investment Act, the planned establishment of a Trade Acceleration Zone by 2027, and strategic investments in logistics and floating solar energy.

Concluding his remarks, the President called on the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) to develop the GBN into a central platform for connecting promising ideas and enterprises from island nations with financing, technology, partners and markets.