PayPal Officially Launches in Maldives, Opening New Avenues for Freelancers and Digital Trade

After years of anticipation, Ooredoo Maldives has finally brought PayPal to the Maldives. 

The flagship launch ceremony took place at the Barceló Nasandhura, where President Dr Mohamed Muizzu alongside PayPal’s Regional Vice President and General Manager, Amir Waliani, joined Ooredoo executives and senior government officials to officially inaugurate PayPal service in Maldives.

The path to today’s rollout has been long and collaborative. On 6 June 2023, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade formally introduced PayPal’s withdrawal service in the Maldives, sending a letter to PayPal CEO Alex Curis to express the government’s commitment. 

Later that year, a high‑level delegation travelled to the United States, meeting with Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma and submitting an official proposal to bring PayPal to the country. In August 2024, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed met PayPal’s global leadership team in San Jose to finalise the partnership.

PayPal appointed Ooredoo Maldives as its local partner, but the planned service launch in August 2025 was postponed after a review revealed gaps in the company’s anti‑money‑laundering (AML) compliance programme. Ooredoo moved quickly to bolster its AML controls, completing all required enhancements earlier this year. System integration and testing wrapped up in May, paving the way for the service to go live today.

The Monetary Authority of Maldives (MMA) awarded Ooredoo an inward remittance licence in October 2024, providing the regulatory backing needed for the platform to operate. 

In this year’s Presidential Address, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu underscored the administration’s priority to bring international payment solutions to the Maldives, highlighting PayPal as a “critical bridge” to the nation’s digital and creative economies.

“Today marks a historic step for our entrepreneurs. With PayPal, freelancers and small‑ and medium‑size enterprises can now receive payments from clients worldwide instantly and securely,” Amir Waliani said at the ceremony. 

The launch has the potential to transform the way Maldivian businesses engage in global e‑commerce, fostering innovation and economic diversification.

With PayPal now operational, the Maldives expects a surge in online freelancing, remote work, and cross‑border trade, positioning the island nation as a hub for digital entrepreneurship in the Indian Ocean region.