JOALI’s Joy of Caring: New paradigm for responsible luxury in Maldives

By Ali Naafiz and Mariyam Saliya Mohamed

In the middle of Raa Atoll, two neighbouring islands are quietly reshaping the story of luxury in the Maldives. On Muravandhoo, JOALI Maldives welcomes guests into a world where art and design are woven into every corner of the island. Just a short distance away on Bodufushi, JOALI BEING has carved its place as the country’s first island dedicated entirely to wellbeing. While both properties are celebrated for their beauty and hospitality, their vision goes deeper than creating memorable guest experiences — a vision that has earned JOALI Maldives national recognition, including its win as CSR Programme of the Year at the Hotelier Maldives Awards 2025.

At the heart of JOALI is a belief that true luxury cannot exist without care — for the environment and for the people who make these islands what they are. This commitment, honoured through the resort’s recent award, underscores JOALI Maldives’ role as a leader in responsible tourism.

This belief comes to life through the resort’s “Joy of Caring” sustainability framework, built on four pillars: Joy of Preserving (environmental conservation), Joy of Conserving (sustainable operations), Joy of Nurturing (wellbeing and ethical consumption), and Joy of Empowering (community engagement and education). Initiatives range from coral restoration and sea turtle rehabilitation to zero-waste practices, Earth-to-Table dining, women’s empowerment programmes, and educational workshops for local schools — efforts that collectively contributed to JOALI Maldives receiving the CSR Programme of the Year accolade at the Hotelier Maldives Awards 2025.

Joy of Preserving: Guardians of the Atoll

At the core of JOALI’s environmental efforts is the “Joy of Preserving,” a pillar dedicated to safeguarding the planet. This commitment is most vividly illustrated by the award-winning JOALI Reef Restoration Programme (JRRP). In 2024 alone, the programme planted over 4,500 coral fragments, aptly named “fragments of hope,” across various innovative nursery systems. These include traditional grid and rope nurseries, as well as advanced Mineral Accretion Technology (MAT) which, as Anas Ibrahim, Cluster Quality Assurance Manager, explains, “speeds up coral growth through electrolysis.”

However, this vital work is not without its difficulties. “One of our biggest obstacles is the increasing threat of coral bleaching due to rising sea temperatures and climate variability,” he notes. “Another key challenge is biofouling and predation… Regular monitoring and maintenance are essential, but they demand time, expertise, and resources.” To combat these issues, JOALI has adopted a multi-faceted approach combining scientific innovation with community engagement. Guests, and particularly younger visitors, are actively encouraged to participate in reef conservation. In 2024, 122 “Young Conservationists” were inspired through hands-on activities, fostering a new generation of ocean ambassadors.

This dedication to marine conservation extends to the protection of sea turtles. In partnership with the Olive Ridley Project (ORP), JOALI BEING is home to the Raa Atoll Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. The centre made headlines in 2024 with the successful rehabilitation and release of its first patient, Kurangi, an Olive Ridley sea turtle who had been entangled in a fishing net. The resident sea turtle biologist carries out ORP’s core initiatives, which in 2024 included conducting 116 hours of underwater surveys, identifying 19 new sea turtles, and recording 999 sea turtle sightings since JOALI BEING opened and welcomed ORP to the island.

JOALI’s preservation efforts also tackle the pervasive issue of waste. The resorts have implemented a robust waste management system, collecting 1.5 tonnes of marine debris through reef and beach clean-ups, with 7,879 kg of waste diverted for recycling via Securebag Maldives.

This commitment to a circular economy is creatively expressed through the “Waste to Art” philosophy. “Waste to art is not just a one-time activation, but something we incorporate into all aspects,” states Muzuna Rasheed, the CSR & Sustainability Supervisor at JOALI Maldives. This is evident in the annual “Waste to Art Competition” and in daily operations, where materials like wooden packaging crates are repurposed for decoration in staff areas or donated to local communities. In 2024, over 48 tonnes of discarded wood were donated to two local islands for community projects.

Joy of Empowering: Cultivating Local Talent and Opportunity

Inspired by its female founder, Esin Gural Argat, JOALI has made women’s empowerment a central tenet of its CSR strategy. The “Joy of Empowering” pillar aims to create platforms for women, fostering their economic and creative aspirations. The “Women in Art” initiative is a prominent example, showcasing the talents of female artists from the Maldives and around the world in the resorts’ art studios.

However, the commitment to female empowerment goes deeper. Recognising that local women represent 3% of their female hosts, JOALI is actively working to address the cultural stigmas that can hinder women from pursuing careers in hospitality. “To tackle this, we are doing targeted outreach and training programmes for girls in schools in Raa Atoll,” Anas explains. “Our women leaders specifically talk to the girls individually who may be hesitant to speak out in groups and clarify their concerns.”

Education is a key component of this empowerment strategy. In 2024, JOALI Maldives and JOALI BEING welcomed 132 students from seven different schools in Raa Atoll. These visits provide invaluable exposure to the hospitality industry, broadening the students’ understanding of potential career paths beyond traditional roles. Anas elaborates, “Anybody who has passion for nursing, photography, engineering, human resources, finance, that all these fields are relevant and relevant to the whole industry. So, I believe we are making a huge impact in that respect.”

Furthermore, the JOALI Sustainability Fund empowers local communities to take the lead in their own development. “It’s a programme where people from the community can suggest their own project ideas,” says Anas. “Each selected project gets up to $3,000 in funding… They tell us what’s needed, not the other way around. That’s how we build trust and make sure we’re supporting things that actually matter to them.”

Joy of Nurturing: Fostering Wellbeing in the Community

The “Joy of Nurturing” pillar extends JOALI’s focus on wellbeing beyond the confines of the resorts and into the neighbouring communities. This is achieved through a variety of initiatives that promote healthy living, active lifestyles, sustainability education, and community connection.

Culinary education plays a significant role, with JOALI BEING hosting numerous workshops for local communities. These have included a plant-based cooking workshop with Chef Bettina Campolucci Bordi for representatives from Dhuvaafaru, and a special mother-daughter cooking class with vegan cuisine specialist Chef Alexis Gauthier for the Maakurathu Women’s Development Committee. Such workshops promote healthy eating with locally available ingredients and reinforce JOALI’s “Earth-to-Table” philosophy, which emphasises organic, sustainably harvested, and locally sourced foods.

JOALI also leverages its ability to attract world-class athletes to provide unique opportunities for local youth. In 2024, legendary Australian footballer Tim Cahill led a training session for teenagers from Inguraidhoo School, while top-ranked tennis players Mischa Zverev, Sascha Zverev, and Marcelo Melo conducted clinics for students from Maduvvari and Fainu schools. These activities combined sports, mentorship, and leadership development, reflecting JOALI’s mission to nurture wellbeing across all ages.

The highlight of JOALI’s community engagement is arguably its large-scale events. The annual Global Wellness Day celebration, first launched in 2022, has become a flagship initiative that unites entire communities in a day of wellness, movement, and joy. Likewise, the celebration of Turkey’s National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, introduced in 2023, has grown into a valued tradition, offering children from neighbouring islands unforgettable experiences of play, cultural exchange, and celebration. Together, these initiatives have engaged and inspired more than 1,750 participants since their inception.

These events, as Muzuna describes, have become a cherished tradition. “They are looking extremely forward for that every year… it’s not just a programme now.”

Joy of Conserving: A Blueprint for Sustainable Operations

Underpinning all of JOALI’s CSR efforts is the “Joy of Conserving,” a commitment to operational sustainability that is woven into the very fabric of the resorts. The design and construction of both properties were guided by principles of sustainable development. At JOALI Maldives, over 1,000 coconut palms were preserved or relocated, and the resort’s 1.3-kilometre jetty was meticulously designed to snake around the existing coral reefs.

JOALI BEING is a showcase of biophilic design, a concept that seeks to connect humans with nature. Waruna Palliyaguru, the CSR & Sustainability Supervisor at JOALI BEING, explains, “This design connects visitors with nature through the built environment. We did not alter the island’s natural shape; instead, we created in harmony with it, following its organic form. What makes it truly special is how the design transforms the way people feel — embodying JOALI BEING and the Joy of Weightlessness.”

This ethos extends to responsible sourcing. The resorts prioritise local procurement, sourcing pole-and-line caught tuna and fresh produce from nearby communities. Their “Earth-to-Table” culinary philosophy is supported by their own organic chef’s gardens. However, sourcing ethically in a remote location presents challenges. “The main challenges are ensuring consistent quality and supply to meet the island’s demand… Being remotely located also means transportation and logistics can be complex,” Waruna admits.

Water and energy conservation are also key priorities. Both resorts operate their own in-house glass water bottling plants, which produced over 400,000 bottles in 2024, eliminating the need for single-use plastics. Wastewater is treated and reused for landscaping, and energy-efficient technologies are employed throughout the properties. While the 2024 report shows a slight increase in energy and water consumption per guest night compared to 2022, this is attributed to the expansion of facilities, including new team accommodation and guest amenities.

The resorts’ commitment to sustainability has been recognised with Silver Certification from EarthCheck for JOALI BEING, and Gold Certification for JOALI Maldives along with the VERIFIED™ Responsible Hospitality certification from Forbes Travel Guide. But for JOALI, these accolades are not the end goal. “For us, certification is not a box-ticking exercise; it’s part of an ongoing journey… Our long-term ambition is to work towards the Master level [with EarthCheck].”

JOALI Maldives and JOALI BEING are crafting a legacy that extends far beyond the traditional metrics of luxury hospitality. Their “Joy of Caring” philosophy is a testament to the belief that true luxury is not just about indulgence, but about making a positive and lasting impact. Through their unwavering commitment to environmental preservation, community empowerment, and sustainable operations, they are not just providing unforgettable experiences for their guests; they are nurturing a more sustainable and equitable future for the Maldives. As they continue to innovate and expand their efforts, JOALI is setting a new benchmark for what it means to be a truly responsible and conscientious leader in the global tourism industry.