The Maldives, a perennial Indian Ocean holiday hotspot, is set to welcome another new luxury resort.
Dubai company FAM Holding is launching Al Mahra Maldives in the tropical archipelago.
Set on the 100,000-square-kilometre Fonagaadhoo island, the resort — which is the company's first venture outside of the UAE — will feature overwater villas, hotel rooms and chalets, each with private swimming pools.
It will have 40 beach villas, 10 of which will be geared towards ultra-luxury travellers, a tranquil spa, state-of-the-art gym and three restaurants serving a selection of international and Arabic cuisine.
Guests checking in at Al Mahra Maldives will have access to a wide array of aquatic and leisure facilities, including scuba-diving and snorkelling.
Currently in the design stage, the new luxury resort is expected to open in 2025.
"Venturing beyond the UAE for the first time, we have chosen the Maldives as our destination due to its immense potential in the tourism and hospitality sector," Faisal Ali Mousa, chairman of FAM Holding Group, tells The National.
"The Al Mahra Maldives project is still in its early stages, with only 5 per cent of units sold to investors so far. The conceptualisation of the design is almost finished. It is expected that the final design will be ready within three months, after which construction will begin in August.
Named after his five-year-old daughter Mahra, it has the same name as Al Mahra Resort in Ras Al Khaimah, a four-star beachfront hotel being developed by the company on Al Marjan Island in the UAE.
In English, the name translates to "stallion" and means strength and elegance.
Mousa says he was reminded of the close ties between the UAE and the Maldives during dinner one evening on a previous visit to the tropical archipelago.
"I was taken aback when I flipped over the plate placed before me and discovered that it was actually manufactured in Ras Al Khaimah, showcasing the worldwide presence and impact of products originating from my country."
Sustainability is key
Alongside luxury experiences for travellers, Mousa says sustainability is a key focus for Al Mahra Maldives, even if that means delaying the hotel's opening.
"The unavailability of suitable materials in the Maldives will necessitate sourcing them from external suppliers, leading to a longer timeline for construction," he says. "As a result, the project is projected to span a duration of two and a half years, with completion and handover slated for the middle of 2025."
The resort will also use renewable energy, developed by FAM Ganz Green Energy, a subsidiary of FAM Holding.
"We are collaborating with our partner in Hungary to construct solar cells for generating solar energy," Mousa says. "This eco-friendly approach will be implemented in our hotel, allowing us to utilise green energy.
"We have also developed a new water treatment solution that involves desalination plants. This innovative method ensures that marine life is not adversely affected when converting seawater into freshwater. The new treatment process allows us to return the rejected salty water back to the sea, without harming the marine ecosystem."
