Noonu Atoll Council asks court to stop leasing islands for resort development

The council of Noonu atoll has filed an injunction at the Maldives Civil Court against the Ministry of Tourism, seeking a stay order on the ministry’s plan to lease several uninhabited islands in the atoll for tourism development.

The council president Mohamed Basheer, said that the council did not wish to lease out Dhekenanfaru, Dhigufaru, Dhonnaerikandoo, Kandhivaru, Kunnamalé and Tholhendhoo for resort development.

The ministry should have discussed with the council before deciding to lease the islands, the council president said.

Basheer also said that the atoll currently consists of eight luxury resorts, while nine other islands are being developed for tourism. He noted that leasing additional islands from the atoll will affect the public. Several of the atoll residents travel to these islands for picnics and local guesthouses use them for tourist excursions.

"There are nine islands leased for investments," Basheer said about the islands that have already been handed over. "These include islands in developmental limbo because of ongoing court cases or because of heavy debts that are interrupting new investors from financing the projects, as well as islands that do not make any money for the state."

He further claimed that leasing the islands for tourist resort development would hinder prospects for local tourism in the atoll.

“We do not want 'elite' over tourism. The council does not want additional islands to be developed under the one-resort one-island concept anymore,” Basheer said.

The council had previously sought a successful stay order against the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture when it attempted to lease Tholhendhoo for 21 years. The island was an inhabited island until 1990.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom stated that the government follows the Tourist Act when leasing islands for tourism development and asserted that there would be no room for discrepancies.

Noonu atoll is home to some of the most luxurious resorts in the world, such as Velaa Private Island, Siyam World, Soneva Jani, and Cheval Blanc Randheli.