The government has begun internal deliberations to amend the Constitution to allow foreign nationals to own land in the Maldives, sources familiar with the matter have told Adhadhu.
The proposal was reportedly discussed during a recent Cabinet meeting under the direction of President Mohamed Muizzu.
Sources claim that while the President is seeking to reinstate foreign ownership rights, the discussion met with resistance from within his own inner circle. Few ministers reportedly voiced concerns during the deliberations, though only one minister ultimately voted against the decision.
Allowing foreigners to own land was first introduced in 2015 through a constitutional amendment during the Yameen administration. However, that change was overturned in April 2019 during the Solih administration, which restored Article 251 of the Constitution to ensure that land can only be granted to foreign entities via lease for a maximum of 99 years.
The Muizzu administration has not yet officially disclosed its intentions or the reasoning behind seeking this change.
When Adhadhu reached out to Ibrahim Khaleel, Minister at the President’s Office, he declined to provide a direct response, instead instructing the newsroom to seek comment from Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed.
Given the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) holds a supermajority in the People’s Majlis, the government possesses the legislative power to push through constitutional amendments with significant speed. This was recently demonstrated on November 20, 2024, when a bill was submitted and passed on the same day.
While a specific date for the submission of the land ownership amendment remains unclear, government officials confirmed to Adhadhu that a decision has already been reached at the Cabinet level.
