His Excellency President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has participated in a High-Level Briefing on Private Capital Mobilisation hosted by His Majesty King Charles III, underscoring the Maldives’ strategic push to attract sustainable investment to support its climate resilience and economic stability. The briefing, held under the umbrella of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) established by His Majesty, brought together Heads of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and senior figures from global private finance to accelerate efforts to direct private capital toward solutions that advance global sustainability goals. For the Maldives, whose economic engine is driven significantly by its world-renowned resort sector and marine-based tourism, participation in this platform reflects a strong commitment to aligning national development with climate-conscious investment.
The session gathered a highly influential group of public and private sector leaders, including the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Honourable Philip Edward Davis, K.C.; Chief Executive Officer of ALTÉRRA, Mr Majid Al Suwaidi; President of the World Bank Group, Mr Ajay Banga; President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mr Ilan Goldfajn; President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Mr Masato Kanda; President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Sidi Ould Tah; President and Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Mr Samaila Zubairu; President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Ms Odile Renaud-Basso; and President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Ms Nadia Calviño. Also present were President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Mr Jin Liqun; President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Mr Daniel Best; Chief Executive Officer of FinDev Canada, Ms Lori Kerr; President and Chief Executive Officer of S&P Global, Ms Martina L. Cheung; Group Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered, Mr Bill Winters; Group Chief Executive Officer of HSBC, Mr Georges Elhedery; Chief Executive Officer of Barclays, Mr C. S. Venkatakrishnan; President of Bank of America International, Mr Bernard Mensah; CEO International of BlackRock, Ms Rachel Lord; Managing Partner of Advent International, Mr James Brocklebank; Global Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) International Limited, Mr Mohamed Kande; Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, Mr Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi; Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Octopus Energy, Mr Greg Jackson; Chief Executive Officer of Robertson Group, Mr Elliot Robertson; and Chief Executive Officer of Conduit Re, Mr Neil Eckert. The breadth of representation signals growing recognition that climate and nature-related risks are central to long-term financial stability and investment strategy.
During the discussions, President Dr Muizzu focused on practical pathways to advance debt-for-climate and debt-for-nature initiatives, and emphasised the importance of strengthening private sector cooperation in green finance. He highlighted the unique vulnerabilities and urgent financing needs faced by the Maldives and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where climate risks directly affect coastal infrastructure, coral reefs, and the future of high-end tourism assets. In particular, the President underlined that Maldives’ luxury resort islands, renowned worldwide for their pristine beaches and premium hospitality offerings, are also frontline assets exposed to rising sea levels and extreme weather. Ensuring long-term viability of these resorts requires targeted investment in coastal protection, renewable energy, water management, and nature-based solutions, all of which depend on innovative financing models and stronger collaboration between governments, MDBs and private investors.
For an economy where the resort industry generates the bulk of foreign exchange earnings, the mobilisation of sustainable private capital is not only an environmental requirement but also a core business priority. President Dr Muizzu’s interventions pointed to the need for financing structures that reward investments in low-carbon operations, energy-efficient infrastructure and ecosystem protection within resort islands, thereby reinforcing the Maldives’ position as a premium yet responsible tourism destination. Enhanced access to green and blue finance will enable Maldivian resorts to invest more confidently in solar power, waste reduction technologies and reef conservation, aligning guest expectations for sustainable travel with long-term asset protection and profitability. These efforts also support broader national objectives, such as economic diversification, job creation and resilience of local supply chains that serve the tourism sector.
President Dr Muizzu’s visit to the United Kingdom, at the invitation of His Majesty King Charles III, adds fresh momentum to the Maldives’ advocacy for equitable and effective sustainable finance that genuinely reflects the needs of SIDS. By engaging directly with global banking leaders, development finance institutions and major investors, the Maldives is positioning its resort-driven tourism market as a credible, investment-ready platform for climate-sensitive capital deployment. The High-Level Briefing hosted by the Sustainable Markets Initiative thus represents an important step in aligning public ambition with private investment, creating opportunities for Maldivian resorts and related sectors to access financial tools that support both commercial returns and climate resilience.
advertisment
advertisment
