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Hulhumalé ހުޅުމާލެ | |
|---|---|
District ofMalé City | |
 Aerial view of Hulhumalé in 2018 | |
  Hulhumalé Location in Maldives | |
| Coordinates:4°13′N73°32′E / 4.217°N 73.533°E /4.217; 73.533 | |
| Country | Maldives |
| Geographic atoll | North Malé Atoll |
| Government | |
| • Company | Housing Development Corporation |
| Area | |
• Population | 4 km2 (2 sq mi) |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| • Width | 1.0 km (0.6 mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | |
• Population |
|
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (MST) |
Hulhumalé (Dhivehi pronunciation:[huɭumɑːlɛ];Dhivehi: ހުޅުމާލެ) is areclaimed island located in the south ofNorth Malé Atoll,Maldives. Theartificial island is being built up by pumping sand from the sea floor, in order to meet the existing and future housing, industrial and commercial development demands of theMalé region and as a response to the threat posed byrising sea levels.[2] The official settlement was inaugurated by PresidentMaumoon Abdul Gayoom on May 12, 2004.
The development and management of the island is undertaken by a government-owned corporation calledHousing Development Corporation (formerly Hulhumalé Development Unit and Urbanco), incorporated on March 23, 2005.
Land reclamation has increased the island's area to 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi), making itthe fourth largest island in the Maldives. As of December 2019[update] the island has a population of more than 50,000; it is planned to house as many as 240,000 by the mid-2020s.[2]
Hulhumalé is located northeast of the airport island ofHulhulé, to which it is connected by a causeway:
Hulhumalé is also represented at the local level by one councilor in the Malé city council.
Reclamation of Hulhumalé began on October 16, 1997, on theHulhulé-Farukolhufushi lagoon 1.3 km (0.81 mi) off the northwest coast of Malé. Initial reclamation (or Phase I), consisting of 45% of land mass, 188 hectares (460 acres), was carried out by the Ministry of Construction and Public Works (MCPW) at a cost ofUSD 11 million. The project was then continued by aBelgian Joint Venture Company, International Port Engineering and Management (IPEM) andDredging International (DI) costing an estimated US$21 million. All the works involving reclamation andcoastal structure development covered in Phase I were completed by June 2002, and 1,000 residents moved to the island in 2004. In the next phase of reclamation, completed in 2015, 244 hectares (600 acres) were added; and, by the end of 2019, there were more than 50,000 residents.[2]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(March 2020) |
A basis of development known as Phase I was formed under the first Master Plan which was completed in July 2001 by aconsortium of consultants fromSingapore with the contribution of many government agencies, committees and individuals. It conceptually defines the long-term land use and development strategy (including urban design proposals, transportation plans and utility infrastructure) with considerations for future infrastructure connections to the adjacent Phase II and planned airport extension areas. The Master Plan is to be periodically reviewed and adjusted to include advances in development.
Phase I of the Master Plan includes:
Stage 1A (completed)
Stage 1B (to be completed by December 2005)
Stage 1C (planned for 2006)
Stage 2 (targeted for 2016)
Stage 3 (targeted for 2020)
Hulhumalé is underutilized relative to other central atolls in the Maldives. It would take the lead of the government to improve utilization by moving government ministries, government departments and public institutions to Hulhumalé and assisting public servants with relocation costs. Pending urban development, greenery landscaping would help make the place more attractive and convenient.
On 15 January 2015 the second reclamation phase of Hulhumalé was launched,[3] which will include the construction of a youth centre.[4] The $50 million project was awarded to Dredging International NV, Belgium earlier this year.[5]
Hulhumalé's road network was planned together with the development of the island. Transport between Phase 1 and Phase 2 are through 4 bridges. Public transport became more convenient with the introduction of relatively inexpensive buses, that travel internally in Hulhumalé, and also toVelana International Airport andMalé.
The island is connected via a causeway to the airport islandHulhulé Island, allowing easy road transport between theVelana International Airport and Hulhumalé. With the opening of theSinamalé Bridge between Hulhulé and Malé Island in September 2018,[6] the road networks of the three islands were connected for the first time.
