A €1 million LED lighting project for Mdina using citizenship fund money has been announced by the National Development and Social Fund.

The project, which is part of a €3 million investment to embellish key buildings and landmarks in Malta, will be led by Infrastructure Malta.

It was announced during a news conference addressed by Capital Project Minister Ian Borg and Citizenship parliamentary secretary Alex Muscat.

Mdina was Malta's first capital city and is the second most visited city by tourists in Malta. It is listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site.

Project phases 

In the first phase of the project, exterior lighting will be installed around main buildings in Mdina that are currently unlit or poorly lit.

These include the Mdina Cathedral, the Carmelite Church, the city’s main gate, the gate of the Greeks and Vilhena Palace.

The project's second phase will see lighting in the actual city being changed, to enhance Mdina and its architectural beauty. 

In the third phase, the lighting around the fortifications and Howard Garden will be replaced.

Borg said that the government was committed to ensuring that Maltese sites remained a centre of attraction at both European and international levels.

Muscat added that the investment will improve Mdina’s aesthetic value as well as the social and historical values of the city. 

The project, he said, would not have been possible without residency and citizenship funds deposited with the NSDF.

The NSDF gathers a portion of fees paid by applicants seeking to purchase Maltese citizenship or long-term residence.