Din l-Art Ħelwa on Thursday expressed grave concern over recent reports that MIDI plc has entered into an agreement with J. Portelli Projects Ltd for the acquisition of Fort Tigné, with plans to convert the historic site into a hotel.

On Tuesday, MIDI plc announced that on 16 December it entered into a promise of sale agreement with J. Portelli Projects Ltd to sell the lease for Fort Tigne. 

In a statement Thursday, Din l-Srt Helwa said that under the emphyteutical deed signed with the Government in 2000, MIDI is legally bound not to transfer assets considered part of Malta's national heritage - including Fort Tigné - without prior government approval. The deed explicitly states that Fort Tigné's emphyteutical title cannot be converted into a perpetual emphyteusis (Article 2.3.6).

This designation reinforces Fort Tigné as a protected, non-alienable heritage asset, which cannot be sold, subdivided, or repurposed like ordinary commercial or residential properties. Any proposed change in its status must be subject to direct government intervention and approval. Furthermore, the conversion of Fort Tigné into a hotel cannot be undertaken without seriously compromising the construction, historic nature and context of the site, DLH said.

Fort Tigné is a Grade 1 scheduled monument and forms part of the UNESCO Tentative List for "Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta" (Ref. 982), submitted by the Government of Malta in 1998. The official description of this listing highlights "Forts Ricasoli and Tigné and the Carafa Bastions" as key components of Malta's historic harbour defences. This Tentative List underpins Malta's draft nomination - "The Maltese Fortifications of the Knights of St John"- which the Government intends to submit to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2026.

Significant effort has gone into this nomination process, which is now at a critical stage. As Minister Bonnici stated in September 2025:

"In recent years, extensive work has gone into identifying which Maltese sites possess the universal values required to qualify for UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Through the Upstream Process, a support mechanism provided by UNESCO, Malta has submitted the nomination of the fortifications surrounding Valletta - including Fort Tigné - and other key sites, as an extension of the Valletta inscription under the title 'The Maltese Fortifications of the Knights of St John.'"

He further emphasised:

"Since the criteria for inscription are increasingly rigorous, this nomination was prepared through in-depth studies and consultations with international experts, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, and ICOMOS International."

The final dossier must be submitted by 30 January 2026, with the evaluation by UNESCO experts and subsequent voting scheduled for the World Heritage Committee's 48th session in July 2026.

Turning one of the most significant and unique forts within this bid into a hotel seriously risks jeopardising Malta's chances of UNESCO recognition before the application is even considered.

Din l-Art Ħelwa stresses that Malta's Knights' fortifications, including Fort Tigné, fully merit inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We question why Malta would jeopardise such an important national and international opportunity. We insist that, under no circumstances, should permission be granted to convert Fort Tigné into a hotel, and that the site's historic value and its role in Malta's bid for UNESCO status be protected at all costs.