Navier and JIH Global Investment to Deploy 100 Boats for Sustainable Transportation in the Maldives

SAN FRANCISCO and MALÉ, Maldives, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Navier, the Bay Area–based maritime technology company building next-generation hydrofoil vessels, and JIH Global Investment, the Dubai-based investment and development group behind a significant portfolio of luxury hospitality and infrastructure assets, have announced a strategic partnership to deploy up to 100 Navier vessels across the Maldives, creating the world's first standardized inter-island transportation network of its kind.

The partnership will establish the Navier Network in the Maldives, a software-driven sustainable maritime corridor designed to connect airports, resorts, private villas, and local islands through a fleet of high-performance hydrofoil vessels. The broader partnership represents an expected fleet value of approximately $100 million.

The rollout will begin with an initial fleet of five Navier N30 vessels in 2026. Following the pilot, Navier and JIH will jointly deploy up to 95 additional vessels over the next 3 years. JIH, as the lead investment and development partner, will oversee the broader strategic 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," said 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, standardized, 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."

"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."

The network will run on Navier's N30 premium water taxi variants, designed for high-end passenger transport. Delivering up to 75 nautical miles of pure electric range and 150 nautical miles of hybrid, the vessels feature air-conditioned cabins, lounge seating, Starlink connectivity, and hydrofoil technology that lifts the vessel above the water for a quieter, smoother ride between destinations. Navier's software platform underpins the system, enabling seamless booking, trip management, and fleet operations in a unified network experience.

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 gas-powered vessels operating across the country and more than 2.2 million tourists visiting in 2025. The Navier Network is designed to replace this fragmented system with a unified, software-driven transportation layer connecting key points across the archipelago. Guests benefit from quieter, smoother journeys with reduced noise, no fuel fumes, and lower wake, while operators benefit from an economic model in which vessels are expected to operate at significantly lower operating costs compared to traditional gas boats. Standardized operations and software-driven fleet management further improve efficiency, demonstrating how sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand.

As the Maldives advances toward its national goal of reaching net zero by 2030, marine transportation remains a key sector for modernization. By reducing drag and lifting above the water, Navier's hydrofoil vessels significantly lower energy consumption, operating costs, noise, and emissions per nautical mile compared with conventional boats, making the improvement both environmental and infrastructural in scale.

While the Maldives is the first full-network deployment, Navier has already validated its platform through production vessels, customers including Four Seasons and WorldBridge Group in Cambodia, and U.S. Navy system integrations. The Maldives will serve as the blueprint for scaling modern water transportation across island nations as well as premium coastal markets, from New York and San Francisco Bay to Miami, Nantucket, and the Hamptons. 

About Navier

Navier is a Bay Area–based maritime technology company building efficient hydrofoil vessels and standardized maritime platforms for commercial, defense, and recreational applications. Its flagship N30 Pioneer is designed for premium passenger transport, combining hydrofoil efficiency, electric propulsion, aerospace-inspired control systems, and software-driven operations. Navier's mission is to transform waterways into the highways of tomorrow. For more information visit https://www.navierboat.com/

About JIH Global Investment

JIH Global Investment is a Dubai-headquartered investment and development group with deep operations in the Maldives across hospitality, real estate, infrastructure, and strategic investment. Chaired by Mohamed Ali Janah, JIH Global Investment is focused on building high-impact projects that advance luxury tourism, sustainable development, and long-term economic growth in the Maldives, Middle East, and beyond.

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