It was originally called the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge due to funding received from the Chinese government.

[12] China Harbour Engineering (CHEC) is the main contractor and had been praised for the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge in Malaysia.

[13] Controversy surrounds the large amount of debt borrowed from China to finance the construction of the bridge.

[14] The construction of the bridge stands as just one among numerous significant ventures completed during the tenure of Abdulla Yameen, a president aligned with China, who assumed office in 2013.

In 2014, Yameen undertook the commitment to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), thus facilitating the participation of Chinese enterprises in funding vital infrastructure undertakings within the Maldives, notably exemplified by the construction of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.