American hydrofoil vessel manufacturer Navier is to deploy up to 100 of its boats across the Maldives having partnered with Dubai-based investment and development group JIH Global Investment.
The partnership is set to create the world’s first standardised inter-island transportation network of its kind.
The network is designed to connect airports, resorts, private villas and local islands through a fleet of high-performance hydrofoil vessels, with the partnership representing an expected fleet value of approximately $100 million.
The rollout will begin with an initial fleet of five Navier N30 water taxi vessels which are designed for high-end passenger transport in 2026.
Following the pilot, Navier and JIH will jointly deploy up to 95 additional vessels over the next three years.
Important maritime transportation market
JIH, as the lead investment and development partner, will oversee the broader rollout, while HARIM, its affiliate Maldives-based development company, will lead on-the-ground execution, including charging and operating infrastructure, route planning, resort partnerships and day-to-day network operations.
“The Maldives is one of the most important maritime transportation markets in the world,” explained Sampriti Bhattacharyya, founder and CEO of Navier.
“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, standardised, software-driven and dramatically better for the guest experience.
“We are not just deploying boats. We are building the first sustainable luxury transportation network on water.”
Boat-dependent tourism economy
The N30 has a range of up to 75 nautical miles under electric propulsion and 150 nautical miles of hybrid propulsion.
The vessels feature air-conditioned cabins, lounge seating, Starlink connectivity and hydrofoil technology that lifts the vessel above the water.
Navier’s software platform underpins the system, enabling booking, trip management and fleet operations.
The organistions point out that with most luxury resorts located on private islands, the Maldives remains one of the most boat-dependent tourism economies in the world, with almost 3,000 petrol-powered vessels operating across the country and more than 2.2 million tourists visiting in 2025.
Scaling modern water transportation
The Navier Network is designed to replace this system. It will be Navier’s first full-network deployment with the company pointing out that the Maldives will serve as the blueprint for scaling modern water transportation across island nations and premium coastal markets.
“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,” said Mohamed Ali Janah, chairman of JIH Global Investment.
“With Navier, we see the potential to build not only a cleaner, more seamless network connecting airports, resorts, villas and islands, but a scalable blueprint for sustainable maritime transportation, extending beyond the Maldives to island nations and coastal cities around the world.”
