Author: Mohamed Reehaan
A parliamentary committee overseeing government performance is set to verify if the cabinet ministers appointed by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu possesses dual citizenship, or passports of foreign countries. In line with the constitutional requirements, cabinet minister nominations undergo parliamentary approval, and the committee initiated an inquiry into the matter. At the committee meeting, MP Mohamed Falah expressed concerns about the citizenship status of two or three ministers who resided abroad for an extended period, suspecting the ministers may hold foreign passports, or dual citizenship. Article 130(a) of the Constitution mandates that ministers must exclusively be citizens of the Maldives without…
Fushifaru Maldives recently hosted Bollywood-newcomer and rising star, Shanaya Kapoor, daughter of veteran Bollywood actor Sanjay Kapoor. The actress, currently with a slew of starring roles including Bedhadak and Vrushaba; both slated for release later, enjoyed an unforgettable escape to the Maldives. During her stay in Fushifaru, Shanaya experienced the “epitome of luxury and tranquility.” The highlight of her visit was the sumptuous birthday dinner at the surf’n’turf fine dining restaurant, Raakani. She also indulged her senses at Fushifaru’s award-winning Heylhi Spa as well as the first-class Indian cuisine at the resort. Cousin to notable Kapoors in Bollywood including Janhvi,…
LUX* South Ari Atoll has unveiled their latest accommodation offerings for tourists; the Romantic Beach Pool Villas. The property has unveiled 10 one-bedroom Romantic Beach Pool Villas, the latest inclusion to the property’s luxury abodes, measure 136 square meters. The villas offer direct access to the beach and lagoon, and feature in-villa private infinity pools as well. The villas are ideal for couples, especially newly-weds and honeymooners and for small families. The Romantic Beach Pool Villas feature their own secluded spot in the beach with the pool overlooking the panoramic ocean. The Romantic Beach Pool Villas feature master bedrooms, all…
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has departed for Turkey on Sunday morning, November 26, on his first official state visit. The President’s Office said that, during his visit at the invitation of Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan, President Muizzu will meet senior Turkish officials to discuss mutual collaboration and strengthening of diplomatic relations. President Muizzu is accompanied by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed along with a high-level government delegation. President Muizzu’s first official visit was initially scheduled for Saudi Arabia. However, the trip was postponed to a later date. His Saudi Arabian visit will follow his trip to Turkey. The presidential couple…
The Minister of Tourism Ibrahim Faisal met with senior officials of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporations (MMPRC) to understand the industry overview. The minister met with the Deputy Managing Director Neesha Shahid and Chief Marketing Officer Fathimath Afra of MMPRC on November 20, 2023. During the meeting at the Ministry of Tourism, officials from MMPRC highlighted the past works of the tourism board and future plans of tourism promotional activities. Besides the minister, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry Fathimath Nilfa attended the meeting as well. On November 21, the minister met with key tourism industry stakeholders as well.…
As of November 22, 2023 the Maldives has attracted an annual total of 1,640,826 tourists; which is exactly 259,174 short of hitting the annual target of 1.9 million set by the outgoing government led by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Since the 2020, this year also saw the most notable changes in the tourist arrivals both in annual term growth as well as the market composition. This is in large part due to the resumption of Chinese traveler market to the Maldives earlier in January 2023. China, as a tourist market, has been absent from the top 10 source markets…
Maldives government implements a system facilitating submission of grievances regarding civil rights infringement or violation. President of the Maldives Dr. Mohamed Muizzu set up the “Office for Civil Rights” under the Attorney General’s Office mandate. The office on Thursday, November 23 said they will look into complaints regarding the protection of civil rights guaranteed to the public by the Maldives Constitution and laws. As per the Attorney General’s Office, action will be taken based on formal complaints made by the public regarding denial of civil rights. Complaints regarding denied civil rights will be handled as per the “Guidelines on filing…
South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) has presented a special award to tourism industry pioneer Mohamed Umar Manik (MU Manik). At a special ceremony held in Kurumba Maldives, SATA presented the award in recognition of MU Manik’s extensive contribution towards tourism industry promotion and growth in the Maldives. Manik is among the first individuals in the Maldives to operate a tourist resort, and presently he is one of the leading resort operators in the country. SATA was established in 2016, and is regarded as one of the most prominent tourism industry accolades granted in the region. The tourism awards is recognized…
Tourist arrivals to the Maldives have reached over 1.6 million according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Tourism. As per the ministry, the total tourist arrivals as of November 20, 2023 observed a 13.0% increment in annual terms. Monthly Arrivals January: 172,499 | 30.9% February: 177,915 | 19.4% March: 173,514 | 15.1% April: 164,357 | 13.1% May: 120,959 | -3.6% June: 120,363 | 8.5% July: 145,620 | 9.0% August: 154,854 | 17.4% September: 130,967 | 16.9% October: 159,141 | 3.5% November (1 – 20): 110,343 | 12.2% According to statistics so far, the only month with a decrement…
Later this month, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is scheduled to fly to Dubai to participate in the 28th edition of the International Conference on Environment, COP-28. The announcement of his attendance was made on Wednesday evening, November 22, at JEN Maldives by Shangri-La during the celebration of the 52nd Union Day of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The COP Summit is scheduled from November 30 to December 12 this year. President Muizzu, addressing the gathering on Wednesday evening, highlighted the importance of this year’s COP meeting; especially for small island nations. He also expressed optimism about utilizing the “loss and…