National carrier Maldivian aims to launch direct flights between Malé and Karachi soon, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced on 22 October at the Maldives–Pakistan Business Forum 2026 in Islamabad.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the forum, held on the final day of Muizzu's three-day state visit to Pakistan. The Ministry of Economic Development said about 540 people took part, the largest turnout for such a forum so far.
In his keynote address, Muizzu said he and Sharif had agreed a day earlier to raise bilateral trade to USD 200 million within two years. Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office put current trade at USD 13.4 million.
Air and sea links
Muizzu described maritime connectivity as an economic lifeline for an island nation and urged shipping, port and logistics companies from both countries to explore direct, commercially viable routes. He said the Karachi service would make travel easier and open up trade and tourism.
Sharif said there are currently no direct flights between the two countries and that Pakistan's aviation authorities had been told to start a service quickly, through PIA or another Pakistani airline. He also called for a reliable shipping line linking Karachi or Gwadar with Malé and asked ministers on both sides to draw up a practical plan within a short time.
Sharif said a delegation of senior Pakistani business leaders and officials would visit the Maldives about a week after Muizzu returns home, adding that agreements that can actually be implemented matter more than routine memoranda.
Sectors on offer
Muizzu said the Maldives should not be seen as a small market, with half a million residents and more than two million tourists a year. Calling food security a matter of national security, he invited investment in cold-chain logistics, food processing and climate-adaptive farming technology.
He also invited Pakistani pharmaceutical firms, construction and engineering companies and renewable energy investors, pointing to the government's target of generating 33 per cent of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2028. He urged cooperation in Islamic finance, including sukuk and halal value chains.
Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry official Aishath Samaha presented the Ras Malé project to Pakistani investors at the forum. She said it involves more than USD 30 billion in investment including related projects, with more than 54,000 jobs during construction and over 14,000 permanent jobs.
The visit marks 60 years of diplomatic relations and is the first by a Maldivian president to Pakistan in 11 years, according to Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office. Twenty memoranda of understanding were exchanged after official talks on 21 October.