President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that since assuming the presidency, he has visited K. Aarah most frequently to play futsal. During a press conference held at the President’s Office, President Dr. Muizzu provided details regarding his trips to Aarah and addressed the ongoing discussions about expenses related to his family’s meals there. He also shared some details about Muliaage. In response to a journalist’s question, President Dr. Muizzu said that he has always been fond of playing football. He added that he has visited Aarah most often to play futsal.

The President said that when considering exercise for maintaining good health, there is a good quality futsal court in Aarah. He mentioned that this court was built before he came to power. Additionally, as Aarah is legally under the supervision of MNDF for use by the incumbent president, he tries to go there to play futsal three times a week, the President said. However, he also noted that he is not able to play futsal three times every week.

According to the President, he has visited Aarah 116 times so far. Out of these, the President said he went to Aarah solely to play futsal 85 times. He stated that on days when he goes to play futsal, he spends approximately three hours there. The President said that he has visited Aarah with his family 31 times. “Including the fuel for two security launches, the total expense up to today is 844,635 rufiyaa and sixty laari. That’s the cost for 116 trips,” the President said.

The President has stated that the bills being circulated on social media, claimed to be for his family’s meals, are not authentic. “In 2024, the expenditure for meals at Muliaage in one direction was 565,703.93 rufiyaa. Even when going to Aarah, the expenses come from this budget. As of April 30th this year, the expenditure for meals from Muliaage has been 175,564.17 rufiyaa,” the President said.

On World Press Freedom Day, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu began the press conference at 10:00 AM. The press conference, which lasted approximately 15 hours, ended at 1:00 AM the next day. He started the press conference by stating that he would answer any question the journalists wanted to ask, even if it continued until the next day. The President continuously answered journalists’ questions.

During this meeting, he highlighted the important role of journalism in society and emphasized the importance of spreading news truthfully, impartially, and without bias. The President gave short breaks for prayer times during the conference and also answered questions submitted by the general public through journalists. This press conference was held at a time when the Maldives’ ranking in this year’s World Press Freedom Index has improved. In the index released by Reporters Without Borders, an international organization working for press freedom, the Maldives ranks 104th this year. Last year, the Maldives was ranked 106th.

The government is carrying out important work aimed at ensuring media freedom, increasing access to information, and improving journalistic resources. One such effort is the project to develop a Media Village to assist the Maldivian media. An agreement has been signed with a developer to proceed with this project.

The government has allocated 27.98 million rufiyaa in this year’s budget to assist private media. Additionally, under the policy of increasing transparency of information, the government has so far held 141 press conferences and 1,071 media interviews. This includes the “Ahaa Forum,” which has further strengthened direct connections between citizens and government officials, including ministers and the President himself participating in meetings.

The President’s Office has also launched a podcast called “With the People.” In this podcast, President Muizzu speaks directly to the people and shares information about policies. So far, 4 episodes of the podcast have been released. Through the “People’s Voice” portal, citizens have submitted 1,043 complaints or suggestions to the President. Of these, the President has responded to 705. This work is part of the government’s extensive efforts to strengthen direct connections with the people.

The press conference made history and became a record-breaking meeting, as it was the longest press conference held by a country’s president. Until now, that record was held by Ukrainian President Volodym President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met with journalists for 14 hours.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said that the state reserves have been brought to a good path. He said this while speaking at the ongoing press conference at the President’s Office. Speaking about the state’s financial situation, the President said that 2.5 billion rufiyaa has been spent so far this year to repay loans. The President noted that out of this, 100 million dollars had to be spent to repay previously taken loans. The President also noted that the country’s financial situation is now on a good path and that the reserves are increasing in the right direction.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said that expenditures are being made in a planned manner. The President said that the Sovereign Development Fund, which stood at 2 million dollars when he took office, has now been increased to 121 million dollars as of today. The President also noted that this is an amount that has been accumulated while paying off foreign debt. “121 million dollars have been deposited to the SDF fund as of April 30, this much has been deposited while making expenditures,” the President said.

The government had previously stated that when the previous government took office in 2018, there was more than 500 million US dollars in the sovereign fund. However, the government says that by the end of that government’s term, almost all the dollars in that fund had been spent.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has expressed his gratitude to the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) for conferring upon him an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in the field of “Islamic Leadership and Civil Development”, describing it as a great honor and pride. The honorary doctorate was awarded to the President during a special convocation of the university held today as part of his ongoing official visit to Malaysia.

In a post shared on social media regarding this matter, the President thanked the Constitutional Head of IIUM, Tengku Ampuan, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and the university for awarding him the honorary doctorate. Additionally, the President expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to deliver a speech on the topic “Intellectual Renaissance: Unveiling the Scientific and Modern Development of Islamic Civilization” at the university’s graduation ceremony, which he considered an honor.

The President’s visit to Malaysia is at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This is his first official visit to Malaysia. The President is scheduled to return to Male’ on Wednesday after concluding this trip.

Ahmed Sareer, the Permanent Representative of Maldives to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has presented his credentials to the OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha. The presentation of credentials took place today at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. During the ceremony, Sareer conveyed congratulations on behalf of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

At the ceremony, Sareer shared the efforts made by the Maldives to promote the principles of the OIC as stated in its charter. He also acknowledged and thanked the Secretary-General for his role in addressing issues facing the Islamic Ummah and uniting OIC member countries. Additionally, Sareer stated that they would continue to work closely in the efforts made by the OIC and member countries to resolve the issues facing Palestine.

During this meeting, the OIC Secretary-General welcomed the Permanent Representative from the Maldives. The Secretary-General also shared the work being done by the OIC to strengthen relations with the Maldives and to brighten the future of Islamic countries. Rahmatulla Waheed, Second Secretary of the Maldives Consulate in Jeddah, participated in this credential presentation ceremony. The OIC is an international organization comprising 57 member countries. The Maldives joined the OIC in 1976.

The US military has reported that a warplane from an aircraft carrier used by the United States to attack the Houthi armed group operating in Yemen has fallen into the Red Sea after sliding off the deck. According to a US Navy official, as the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman suddenly changed course to evade a Houthi attack, a warplane slid off the deck and fell into the Red Sea.

The incident occurred when the plane was being towed to the hangar and lost control as the carrier suddenly changed direction, it was also stated. The tractor towing the aircraft also fell into the sea. The aircraft that fell into the Red Sea was a US FA-18 Super Hornet fighter jet. The cost of that aircraft is $60 million. The official said no one was injured in this incident.

The Houthis have been repeatedly launching drone and missile attacks targeting the Jewish state to defend the Palestinian people from the aggressive attacks of the Zionist occupation forces. In addition, the Houthis have been attacking ships traveling through the Red Sea that have connections to Jews or are traveling to Jewish territories. This is part of the group’s activities against the inhumane aggression carried out by Jewish forces to martyr and exterminate the Muslims of Gaza in Palestine.

In these attacks, the Houthis have been using the latest modern military drones and dangerous weapons such as ballistic missiles. The group has expanded its military activities to the Gulf of Aden, the Mediterranean Sea, and even the Indian Ocean. As a result of these attacks, international trade routes have been disrupted, and businesses using these routes have been forced to use more expensive and longer routes. Consequently, prices in the global market have started to rise. For these reasons, attacks targeting Yemen from the United States and the Jewish state have increased.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the Maldives is open to investment opportunities and will welcome those interested in investing in the Maldives. The President said this during a courtesy call by Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, Founder and Advisor of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, as part of his ongoing trip to Malaysia.

During this meeting, the President highlighted the opportunities available for Malaysian investors and businesses in the Maldives. He also mentioned that such opportunities are open in the Maldives and that those interested in investing in the Maldives would be welcomed. The President also revealed that both parties could collaborate in the Maldives’ tourism sector. The Founder and Advisor of Berjaya Corporation Berhad shared details of the projects the corporation has carried out so far with the President. They also discussed ways to expand the corporation’s portfolio during this meeting.

Ministers who participated in this meeting shed light on the investment opportunities available in the Maldives and shared related information. They also highlighted the ease of doing business in the Maldives and the concessions provided to foreign investors. Additionally, the ministers highlighted the areas for investment in the Maldives and the extent of the country’s air and sea connectivity. They also discussed the projects initiated by the government to further expand the Maldives’ air and sea connectivity.

In addition to the Founder and Advisor of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the corporation, Syed Ali Shahul Hameed, and Maurice Daniel Chen, Executive Assistant to the Founder and Advisor of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, participated in this meeting.”

The Zakat House of Maldives and the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of human development. The MoU was signed on the sidelines of a ceremony held today at the university to confer an honorary doctorate on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Under this agreement, both parties have agreed to collaborate on important initiatives to train people in the field of human development.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Zakat House by Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, Chairman of the Zakat House and Minister of Islamic Affairs. Professor Dr. Osman Bakar, Rector of IIUM, signed on behalf of the university. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs states that this is a step forward in the government’s efforts to strengthen the Zakat House of Maldives and the zakat system.

Sunway Group has expressed interest in visiting the Maldives and seeking information on investment opportunities. This interest was expressed by the Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group, Dr. Jeffrey Cheah AO, during a courtesy call on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. The meeting took place during the President’s ongoing official visit to Malaysia.

During the meeting with the President, Dr. Jeffrey Cheah AO, Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group, discussed potential areas of cooperation between the Maldives and Sunway Group. The President highlighted the importance of on-the-job training and mentioned the possibility of conducting such training in collaboration with the Maldives National University. The President also shed light on various opportunities in the tourism, education, and health sectors.

In this meeting, Dr. Jeffrey Cheah AO shared details about Sunway Group’s operations and areas of expertise with the President. The Sunway Group also inquired about investment opportunities in the Maldives, special opportunities available for foreign investors, tax policies, visa-related information, financial transactions, and other related matters. Furthermore, Dr. Jeffrey expressed interest in visiting the Maldives to gather more information about investment opportunities in the country.

Ministers who participated in this meeting shared detailed information about the Maldives’ economic situation. They highlighted the Greater Malé Region project and development projects underway in the Maldives’ Special Economic Zones. The ministers also shared information about the government’s digital transformation efforts, the President’s vision to convert 33%33% of the energy used in the Maldives to renewable energy, and the progress of ongoing solar energy projects. In their remarks, the ministers noted that with the enactment of the Maldives Foreign Investment Act last December, a favorable environment has been established in the Maldives for investors to reap sustainable benefits.

The meeting concluded with renewed hope for a prosperous future.