Tourism & FX policy: Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Ameen says Visit Maldives Year 2027 will back tourism growth by targeting new markets and island communities, while Visit Maldives Corporation’s Q3 briefing points to strong intent to return (85%+) and high satisfaction (80%+). Foreign exchange access: Economic Development, Transport and Trade Minister Mohamed Saeed says official USD transactions and bank allocations have surged since 2021, with state support for merchants’ FX rising to 30–40% (from ~5%). Dollar-rate pressure debate: MDP leader Mohamed Nasheed urged the government to engage the opposition “without acting big,” warning dollar reserves are “empty,” black-market rates are rising, and the resort 20% revenue conversion plan could hurt investors. Fiscal strain: The Finance Ministry reports subsidy spending has overshot by MVR 335m (MVR 3.23bn spent vs MVR 2.89bn budgeted for the year), driven by utilities and fuel-price pressures. Community finance: Bank of Maldives named five Bank Fund 2026 recipients, each receiving MVR 200,000 for projects from digital hubs and eco-parks to agro-processing and school makerspaces. Aviation infrastructure: Island Aviation reopened tendering for Dharavandhoo Airport’s terminal expansion under contractor-financing, with proposals due Sept 10 and an 18-month delivery target. Bilateral business links: Maldives and UAE leaders discussed trade, development and regional security in a phone call, while Sri Lanka’s Port City Colombo held an investor forum in Malé for senior Maldivian business leaders.