Convention complex to be built Laamu atoll

Defence Minister Adam Shareef Umar has said that a decision has been made to build an convention complex in Laamu atoll.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Cargo and VIP Lounge at the Iskandharu Airport in Laamu Kahdhdhoo, Minister Shareef said that he wants to see Laamu atoll become an important economic resource because of the Iskandharu Airport.

The Defence Minister said that to achieve that goal, an event complex would be built in Kahdhdhoo and thinking about making arrangements to hold important functions.

The first time an event complex was built outside Malé City in 2011 for the SAARC Summit in Hithadhoo, Addu City. Equatorial Convention Center (ECC) built by the Nasheed government was unused for a long time, the government has recently announced a conversion of the building to a tertiary hospital.

The government has contracted to build a 100-bed hospital at ECC.

But last November, the Economic Minister, Mohamed Saeed said that the Maldives have potential for Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, or Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) tourism.