Maldives to Establish Legal Framework for Offshore Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources

The Maldivian government has begun work to establish a dedicated legal framework governing the exploration and extraction of oil, gas, minerals and other non-living marine natural resources within the country’s maritime zones.

The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting held on Sunday, August 30, 2026, following a paper submitted by Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam.

Under the decision, the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources, together with relevant government authorities, will carry out the necessary work concerning the exploration, extraction and related activities involving non-living natural resources in Maldivian maritime zones.

The Cabinet has also decided to draft a special bill that would regulate permits for the exploration and extraction of such resources, establish ownership rights over resources recovered from the sea, and introduce mechanisms to regulate and manage the sector.

The proposed legislation would provide the government with a legal basis to assess and potentially develop resources found beneath or within the Maldives’ maritime areas, while establishing rules for how exploration and extraction activities are conducted.

The Maldives has traditionally depended heavily on tourism and fisheries, with its economy closely tied to the surrounding ocean. While the country is widely known for its marine ecosystems and tourism industry, its maritime zones also contain seabed and subsurface areas that could have potential for non-living natural resources.

The Cabinet decision therefore marks an initial step toward formally assessing whether commercially viable oil, gas, minerals or other marine resources exist within Maldivian waters.

A dedicated regulatory framework could also determine how companies or other entities would be allowed to conduct exploration, what permits and environmental safeguards would be required, and how revenues or other economic benefits would be distributed.

The government says the initiative is intended to assess the economic potential of the Maldives’ maritime zones and ensure that any resources identified are responsibly managed and that their benefits are secured for the nation.

However, any future exploration or extraction activities would also raise environmental considerations, particularly given the Maldives’ dependence on its marine environment for tourism, fisheries and coastal livelihoods.

The proposed bill is expected to provide the legal and administrative foundation for determining how the country would balance potential economic opportunities from non-living marine resources with environmental protection and sustainable management of its maritime areas.