MALE, DEC 23 (DNA) – Justly famous for its idyllic palm-fringed resorts in the middle of the vast Indian Ocean, the Maldives is now eager add to its persona by becoming the Dubai of the South Asian region – an ideal place for entrepreneurs from the region and beyond to network and strike deals in a uniquely pleasant and relaxed atmosphere which only the Maldives can provide,writes P.K.Balachandran.

While continuing to be a slice of paradise on earth, the archipelago of 1,200 islands is keen to exploit the multifarious opportunities provided by its geographical location, says Imjad Jaleel, Chief Communications Strategist at the Maldivian President’s Office.

“Being on the international East-West shipping route, the Maldives  could well be developed as an international maritime and trading hub, the government of President Abdulla Yameen feels,” Jaleel told.

Abdulla Yameen came into power in 2013 under turbulent political conditions. But he disregarded political animosities both at home overseas and quickly got down to drawing up a plan to exploit the country’s locational advantage. He launched his trademark “transformational development program” to propel the Maldives into the 21 st. Century by developing its infrastructure with international investments.

“The President correctly felt that even tourism, the country’s main breadwinner apart from fish, cannot be sustained and promoted unless it is backed by world class infrastructure and support services.”

“President Yameen’s ultimate aim is to make the Maldives an international center of commerce and communication. The Maldives aims to be Dubai of South Asia, where people from the region and beyond would congregate to interact, network and transact businesses under ideal conditions. Maldives will have the right ambience for mixing business with pleasure,” Jaleel said.

The Maldives will eventually fill the gap between Dubai in the West and Singapore in the East, he added.

The Maldives’ achievements thus far assure that the ambitious goal can be reached. Despite motivated and baseless propaganda about Islamic radicalization and terrorism, the Maldivian tourist resort sector is booming, attracting all the top international brands, including Hard Rock International. China and Thailand have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure projects.

To help the local fishing industry and also to get machinery and services for rapid infrastructural development, the Maldives has entered into a Free Trade Agreement with China. Additionally, the Yameen government has struck up a good relationship with Malaysia, an engine of growth in South East Asia. Prime Minister Najib Razak, who visited the Maldives recently, pledged Malaysian investments, Jaleel points out.