Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel has said President Mohamed Muizzu decided against the Saudi embassy's involvement in Fahad Saud Al Shalan's meeting with him.
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.
The President's Office announced that Muizzu had met a Saudi royal prince, but no representatives from the Saudi embassy attended the meeting. The President's Office later removed all content, including photos, about the meeting.
Khaleel was summoned to Wednesday's parliament session and Galolhu South MP Meekail Naseem questioned him about the meeting.
"When a person visits, both informally and formally, it is up to the President to decide who will and who will not participate. It is the general practice to invite representatives of the country when a foreign official meets the President," Khaleel said.
"Fahad al-Saud is the son of a princess of the royal family. He came to the Maldives on a business trip to do some personal work," he added.
Khaleel said he visited the Maldives for the work of MIFC along with others involved in the project.
“I would like to take this opportunity to note that the meeting was conducted with the participation of those decided by the President rather than the Saudi embassy,” Khaleel said.
A senior official with knowledge of the matter said 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.
