President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said he he would relocate the services from Commercial Harbour to Thilafushi and have it fully operational by 11 November 2027.

The President made the remarks during the third episode of the Nation Chat podcast, which aired on Public Service Media (PSM) on Wednesday night.

Speaking about the relocation project, President Muizzu said 80 percent of port operations will be transferred to the new commercial port in Thilafushi, describing the new facility as a modern, fully equipped commercial port.

The remaining operations will be carried out at the Industrial Village planned for the south-west of Male', near the Male' end of the Thilamale' Bridge.

He said container transport between the two facilities will be handled by roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferries, allowing freight movement to bypass residential areas.

The President said the new port will operate using a fully digitalized port management system.

He added that the government plans to encourage private sector investment by offering incentives for businesses to establish commercial operations within the Thilafushi port area and the Male' Industrial Village.

Addressing urban development projects in the capital, President Muizzu said the ongoing reconstruction of the Male' Ring Road will include improved transport infrastructure.

He said additional finger jetties will be built at existing speedboat terminals to improve passenger boarding, disembarking and vessel berthing. The work will be carried out alongside the construction of the final section of the Male' Ring Road, extending from the Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) area to the Tsunami Monument.

During the podcast, the President also responded to public feedback on his Independence Day address.

He said he welcomed constructive criticism and explained that his speech focused on the country's past challenges, the government's efforts to address them, and its long-term vision for the future.

MPL is overseeing the development of the new commercial port in Thilafushi.

In February this year, China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) was awarded the contract to carry out the design and survey for the first phase of the Thilafushi harbor development project. MPL said last month that the work is nearing completion.