Comoros Steps Up Preparations for 2027 Indian Ocean Island Games with 200-Villa Athletes’ Village

MORONI, Comoros — Preparations for the 2027 Indian Ocean Island Games are gathering pace in the Comoros, where construction of a 200-villa Athletes’ Village is taking shape on the outskirts of the capital, Moroni.

At Moindzaza Djoumbé, what was recently an ambitious project on paper is now becoming a visible construction site. The first villas have emerged, while work is advancing simultaneously across several sections of the site.

The project was launched after President Azali Assoumani set the goal of creating a Games Village capable of accommodating delegations attending the 2027 Indian Ocean Island Games. The undertaking has required the mobilization of financing, construction companies and institutional partners, all working against a demanding deadline.

At the center of the effort is Faouzia Vitry, the former Vice-President of the Réunion Region, who has been involved in structuring the project and mobilizing partners over recent months.

Construction gathers momentum

After around a month and a half of construction, several villas have already reached an advanced stage of structural work. Walls have been erected on some buildings and the first concrete roof slabs have been poured, while other structures remain at the foundation, formwork or slab-preparation stages.

Dozens of villas are being developed simultaneously, reflecting the scale and urgency of the operation.

Aerial views of the site show access roads taking shape, foundations spreading across the development area and structures rising at multiple construction fronts. The transformation has been rapid: a project that recently existed primarily in plans and technical documents is now becoming a substantial physical development.

The pace of construction will remain critical, with all 200 villas required to be completed in time to accommodate athletes and officials during the Games.

Comorian financial institutions behind the project

A key element of the development is its financing structure. According to project information, funding for the Games Village has been secured through a consortium of five Comorian financial institutions.

The consortium comprises AFG Bank Comores, Exim Bank Comores, Meck Moroni, the Union des Meck and the Union Régionale des Sanduk d’Anjouan (URSA).

The Central Bank of the Comoros has a role in oversight, coordination and monitoring, while the Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (UCCIA) and the Indian Ocean Island Games Organizing Committee (COJI) are also involved in the project's governance and monitoring.

The financing arrangement represents a significant mobilization of the country's financial sector around a major national infrastructure project.

Beyond its immediate sporting purpose, the Games Village is being presented as an example of cooperation between public institutions, financial organizations and businesses in support of a nationally significant undertaking.

International expertise

The project is drawing on both Comorian and international expertise. Chinese companies are among the firms involved in construction of the villas and associated site infrastructure.

The involvement of multiple companies and technical partners reflects the scale of the development and the compressed timetable ahead of the 2027 Games.

For Vitry, the project also marks another chapter in a career closely associated with regional cooperation in the Indian Ocean. During her time as Vice-President of the Réunion Region, she was responsible for regional cooperation. Her current role places her at the intersection of sports, infrastructure, finance and economic development across the region.

A deadline with national significance

The challenge remains substantial. Two hundred villas must be delivered on schedule, while the surrounding infrastructure must also be completed to support the arrival of delegations from across the Indian Ocean.

Yet the first weeks of construction have already changed the character of the site. Foundations, roads and rising structures now provide tangible evidence of the preparations underway for the 2027 Games.

For the Comoros, the Athletes’ Village is therefore more than accommodation for a major sporting event. It is also part of a broader effort to develop infrastructure and demonstrate the country's capacity to deliver a complex regional project.

As construction continues at Moindzaza Djoumbé, attention will increasingly turn to whether the ambitious timetable can be maintained—and whether the Games Village can ultimately become part of a lasting legacy for the Comoros beyond the 2027 competition.

The project also carries a wider human dimension: the return of members of the Comorian diaspora bringing professional experience and regional expertise back to contribute to a major national undertaking.

Category:

Press release 

Writer:

Tolu Osindero

Phone:

+34 631 279 811 | +34 672 93 12 16