Foreign Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel has refused to attend the parliament questioning session over the President’s Office, claiming that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu met with a Saudi royal family member.
The question was proposed by Galolhu South MP Meekail Naseem and scheduled for today's session.
Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim told MPs that the minister had informed the parliament that he cannot attend the session as he needs to take part in meetings and other work at the scheduled time.
"So the question will be put on the agenda again at the earliest possible date,” Nazim said.
It is unclear what official work the minister was doing during today's session. There was no official ceremony or event at the Foreign Ministry at the time.
Fahad Saud Al Shalan came to the Maldives to attend the inauguration and groundbreaking ceremony of the Maldives International Financial Centre (MIFC) commissioned by a Qatari company.
At the time, news websites highlighted that Al Shalan is not a Saudi prince.
Meekail's question was to clarify whether Al Shalan belonged to the Saudi royal family. He also questioned why the Saudi Embassy did not attend the meeting held at the President's Office and whether it had any adverse impact on relations between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia.
The President's Office website deleted the news and photos related to the meeting before Muizzu visited Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in June.
A senior official with knowledge of the matter told Adhadhu that the Saudi government was very upset about the government's claim that Al Shalan is a Saudi prince. The Saudi government also protested because the error had not been corrected and because the Maldives' government had not apologised.
"The Saudi government officially instructed to take down everything related to it, including news and photos," the official spoke on condition of anonymity.
The news of the fake Saudi prince's planned visit to the Maldives was kept secret by the Maldives' government. Communications about the arrival of the fake prince were conducted through secret letters. Reports say two cabinet ministers were involved in bringing the fake prince to the country.
