Maldives to introduce electric water taxis in $100 million mobility project

Indian Ocean

New hydrofoil fleet aims to support sustainable transport and year-round connectivity across the island nation

The Maldives is set to introduce a fleet of 100 electric water taxis over the next three years as part of a major investment in sustainable maritime transport. The initiative, valued at approximately US$100 million, is being developed through a partnership between US-based maritime technology company Navier and UAE-based JIH Global Investment.

The project is designed to create a cleaner, quieter and more efficient transportation network linking airports, resorts, private villas and local islands. It also supports the Maldives' ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 while enhancing mobility for both residents and visitors.

Rollout begins in 2026

The first phase will see five Navier N30 hydrofoil vessels enter service in 2026, followed by the deployment of up to 95 additional vessels over the following three years.

According to Navier, the project will establish the "Navier Network", a software-driven maritime transport system that uses high-performance hydrofoil vessels to improve connectivity throughout the archipelago.

Sustainable transport for luxury tourism

"Nearly every guest, every worker, every resort, and every island depends on boats or seaplanes. That makes the Maldives the perfect place to prove that maritime transportation can be cleaner, quieter, standardized, software-driven, and dramatically better for the guest experience," said Sampriti Bhattacharyya, founder and CEO of Navier.

"We are not just deploying boats. We are building the first sustainable luxury transportation network on water," added Bhattacharyya, who previously worked as an aerospace engineer at NASA.

Blueprint for other island destinations

Mohamed Ali Janah, Chairman of JIH Global Investment, said the project combines the Maldives' position as a leading luxury tourism destination with its commitment to addressing climate change.

"The Maldives has always been at the frontier of luxury tourism, but as an island nation on the frontlines of climate change, we also have an opportunity to help define what the future of waterborne transportation looks like," he said.

According to the project partners, the Maldives will serve as a model for expanding modern, sustainable water transport to other island nations and premium coastal destinations around the world.