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Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar announced that the city council will insist on collecting rent for the 1.5-hectare plot in Hithadhoo requested for Google's "Dhivar" international submarine cable landing station, estimating annual rental value at MVR 18 million.
News Desk
Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar - Photo: Addu City Council
Addu City Council will try to generate rent income for the council from land allocated in Hithadhoo for Google’s major international submarine cable landing station, Mayor Ali Nizar has firmly declared.
In a video statement shared on Facebook, Mayor Nizar stated that while the high-profile project connects Oman, the Maldives, and Christmas Island in Western Australia, the citizens of Addu must receive proper rental revenue for the land utilized by the tech giant.
Under the initiative, named the "Dhivar" submarine cable project, Google plans to establish an international connectivity hub in Addu City. The project requires approximately 160,000 square feet (1.5 hectares) of land in Hithadhoo. According to council estimates, the land is valued at a monthly rent of MVR 1.5 million, totaling MVR 18 million annually.
Mayor Nizar emphasized that regardless of existing arrangements or the overall scale of the investment, the council is committed to securing fair financial compensation for the municipality and its residents.
"The assurance
I give to the public is that we will work to ensure the Addu City Council receives the rent due for this land," Mayor Nizar said. "Regardless of how large the investment is, we must receive rent proportional to that investment for the council and the people."
The mayor added that the council will directly inform Google executives regarding rent requirements, warning that even if land was initially handed over under free deals, local rent obligations must be met.
