Minister: Shangri-La Vilingili has promised to share timeline for reopening soon

The management of Shangri-La Villingili – once a key source of income for residents of Addu City – has promised to provide a timeline for the reopening of the resort “without much delay”, says Tourism Minister Thoriq Ibrahim.

The first tourist resort to open in Addu, Shangri-La Vilingili had closed indefinitely in 2020 – at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The prolonged closure of the resort remains a key concern of the people of Addu, the most populous city in the Maldives after the capital, Male’.

Shangri-La Vilingili was run by Addu Investment, a joint venture between the Maldivian government and Shangri-La Maldives. In 2023, the then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced that the government had presented documents to Addu Investment rescinding their 30 percent share in the company.

In 2024, his successor President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s first tourism minister, Ibrahim Faisal said the administration was engaged in numerous efforts to help the resort reopen.

On Monday, Faisal’s successor, Thoriq met with Shangri-La’s Vice President of Investment and Asset Management, Samuel Lim Yong Peng, on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market underway in Dubai.

Speaking to reporters regarding the meeting, Thoriq said that he had visited Shangri-La Vilingili to access the resort’s condition back in Ramadan. He said that the property was well-maintained.

Thoriq said that during his meeting with Peng, the two discussed the reopening of Shangri-La Villingili and strategies to improve air connectivity to Addu.

He said Shangri-La’s management agreed to provide a timeline for the resort’s reopening “without much delay”.

“Connectivity is the biggest issue. The government is working with them to address this issue and improve [connectivity]. One of these efforts are that we are talking with airlines,” he said.

“There are some additional efforts required. We are very seriously engaged in these efforts.”

The Shangri-La Vilingili had once employed over 100 Addu residents, and was a source of income for hundreds of families.

The reopening of Shangri-La Vilingili, coupled with improved air connectivity, is expected to provide a significant boost to the economy of southern Maldives.