Shareholders of MIDI plc have approved an agreement with the government to return Manoel Island to the public domain for its conversion into a national park, marking a major step in the long-running debate over the site's future.

The decision was taken during an extraordinary general meeting held on Tuesday afternoon, where shareholders were presented with the details of the agreement reached in recent days and subsequently endorsed the proposal.

Under the agreement, Manoel Island and Fort Tigné are expected to be returned to the state and transformed into national parks, with an emphasis on open public spaces, heritage preservation and public access.

The move follows years of public debate over the future of Manoel Island, a historic site in Marsamxett Harbour that had originally been earmarked for mixed-use development under a long-standing concession agreement.

In 2024, a grassroots petition gathered more than 29,000 signatures calling for the island to be converted into a natural heritage park, with activists working alongside residents, NGOs and experts to promote alternative uses centred on public enjoyment and environmental protection.

A settlement between the government and MIDI was reached in March 2026, effectively bringing an end to the 99-year concession covering Manoel Island and Fort Tigné.

The concession dates back to 2000, when MIDI was granted development rights over Tigné Point and Manoel Island. While Tigné Point was developed, Manoel Island saw restoration works, but wider development plans did not materialise in recent years.

In a Facebook statement, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that "another dream has become reality."

"The agreement we put forward to bring back Manoel Island and Fort Tigné has now also been approved by MIDI shareholders," he said.

He added that the government is now looking ahead to formally signing the agreement in the coming days.