The Maldives Expo 2026 has presented awards to exhibitors who achieved outstanding rankings at the exhibition. The awards were presented at a special ceremony held at Barceló Nasandhura, attended by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.
During the ceremony, the President presented awards to five products that achieved the highest scores across the entire exhibition, earning the prestigious Top Five distinction.
Maldives Expo 2026, is held under the guidance and direction of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, with the aim of strengthening the country's creative industries and expanding business opportunities.
This year's exhibition featured 4,404 products from 419 participants, representing an 83.5 per cent increase in the number of products compared with 2025. Last year, approximately 2,400 products were showcased by 240 participants.
Individual creators accounted for the largest share of participants this year. The exhibition included 321 individuals, 75 businesses and 16 participants with disabilities, alongside contributions from educational institutions, associations and state-owned enterprises. Approximately three-quarters of the products on display were created by individuals.
The expo featured 73 categories across 16 sectors, with handicrafts accounting for the largest number of entries at 1,695 products. Creative arts and design ranked second, with 920 products. Other categories included food, jewellery, fashion, literature, fisheries, information and communications technology, tourism and renewable energy.
This year's expo was organised across seven dedicated districts, an initiative designed to connect businesses with customers and create new market opportunities.
A total of 298 awards were presented to recognise achievements across different categories. These included 116 first-place awards, 95 second-place awards and 82 third-place awards, alongside the prestigious Gold Top Five distinction. As some participants received awards in multiple categories, 134 participants secured rankings overall. In the category for participants with disabilities, 14 participants received a total of 76 awards.
Five products awarded the Gold Top Five distinction
The five products that achieved the highest scores across the entire exhibition were:
- Memory of the Tides by Mariyam Shahuma — Creative Arts and Design
- Dhoani by Abdul Rasheed Hassan — Woodcraft
- Thundu Kunaa by Usha Adam — Jewellery and Accessories.
- Avas App by Mohamed Yaniu Rameez — Information and Communications Technology
- Kalhuvakaru Mosque by Adam Mansoor — Construction
Three of the five top-ranked products were submitted by individual creators, while the remaining two came from the business sector
First-place winners across participant categories
The first-place winners in the different participant categories were:
- Individual participants: Usha Hassan, Male' City
- Business sector: Prison Cooperative Society
- Educational institutions: Maldives Polytechnic
- Associations and societies: Women Entrepreneurs Maldives
- State-owned enterprises: Housing Development Corporation
- Participants with disabilities: Fathimath Shafaq, Redium, Vilifushi, Thaa Atoll
The seven exhibition districts were designed to showcase different aspects of the creative economy. These included the Creative Economy District, dedicated to creative industries; the Digital and Innovative District, featuring technology-based products; and the Entertainment District, showcasing recreational activities and Maldivian cultural performances.
The remaining districts were the Marketplace District, established to market and sell products and services offered by small and medium-sized enterprises; the Visitor Economy District, focusing on tourism-related products and services; and the International Exhibitors District, showcasing services from international participants. The exhibition also featured a dedicated district for technology and innovative products, complementing the broader range of activities.
Maldives Expo 2026 served as a platform to bring together the craftsmanship, contemporary skills and creative products of Maldivians from across the country.
The government has stated that the exhibition will help showcase local talent, recognise the value of Maldivian creativity and support the sustainable development of the country's creative industries.
The first creative exhibition in the Maldives was held in 1944. Since then, similar exhibitions have been organised over the years under various names.