The Hajj Corporation has retracted a previous statement regarding the development of a city hotel in K. Maafushi because of inadequate interest.

The Managing Director of the corporation, Mohamed Shakeel, mentioned that despite three bidders showing interest, the financing arrangement for the city hotel was poorly received, resulting in its cancellation.

As a result, a second announcement has been issued, with the bid registration deadline established for next Tuesday. The initiative is available to international bidders and will be overseen by Maafushi Islamic Tourism Pvt Ltd (MIT), a branch of the Hajj Corporation.

As per the business portal, MIT was established in October last year, with Mohamed Shihaab serving as its Managing Director, who is also the Deputy Managing Director of the Hajj Corporation. The directors of MIT consist of Shakeel, the Managing Director of Hajj Corporation, along with other high-ranking executives from the Hajj company.

A registration fee of MVR 30,000 or USD 2,000, which is non-refundable, must be submitted by Tuesday. The proposals will be unveiled on the 13th of the upcoming month.

Shakeel verified that a 242-room hotel will be constructed in Maafushi, featuring a pool and all standard amenities found in guest houses.

The Hajj Corporation has revealed the initiation of Islamic tourism in Maafushi for a second time; however, Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has declined to participate in the venture.

Minister Shaheem informed Miharu that the Hajj Corporation has not engaged in any talks with the ministry about building a city hotel and entering the tourism sector. He claimed that the Hajj Corporation ought to find ways to handle its finances without engaging in hazardous ventures.