Land reclamation project for new terminal awarded to Heavy Load

Heavy Load Maldives has been awarded the contract of land reclamation in Hulhumalé, for the new terminal for GMR Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. Heavy Load Maldives is a company owned by Moosa “Reeko” Manik, the Interim Chairperson of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

GMR, the operator of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, declined to reveal the contract value, although they affirmed that the contract had been awarded to Heavy Load. The project, according to GMR, had been delegated to GMR Airport Development Limited, a subsidiary f GMR, which in turn assigned the task to Heavy Load. GMR also said that the budget for the project had been set at USD 20 million.

The first phase of the project would complete 50 per cent of land reclamation, meaning that a land area of one million cubic meters would be carved out of the sea.

GMR said that only reclamation had been contracted to Heavy Load and that a party to do the work of harbour construction was yet to be decided.