Maldives New Legislation Sees Significant Second-Home Growth

Honeymooners may soon find the Maldives transformed into a lucrative second-home market, thanks to over $3 billion in UAE investments by 2030.

United Arab Emirates developers are investing more than $3 billion in Maldivian luxury real estate projects through 2030, according to investors and industry insiders familiar with the market.

With the return of global visitors following the pandemic, the destination is becoming another attractive market for international property investment. CBRE Thailand, the local arm of the international property consultancy, confirms there's "a solid opportunity to capitalise on high returns in a market that is currently undersupplied and has high growth potential due to significant increases in international visitors."

The country welcomed more than 1.6 million tourists in 2024, with visitors from Asian countries accounting for 23.7% of the total, data from the Maldives' Ministry of Tourism shows.

Among the most sought-after properties are Soneva Jani and Soneva Fushi, which offer a unique blend of luxury and sustainability. Soneva Jani, a collection of eight island villas and 51 overwater pool villas ranging from one to four bedrooms, offers vacation villas for purchase, following a change in Maldivian law that allowed resorts to sell subleases to individuals.