Islamic Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has opposed from the start President Mohamed Muizzu’s plan to give 500 hectares of reclaimed land in Rasmalé to Abu Dhabi-based developer Eagle Hills, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Concern that Shaheem would resign was a key reason Muizzu invited the religious conservative Adhaalath Party into his government, party sources said. The party agreed to join on Saturday night.
The minister has raised his objections in cabinet and directly with the president, the sources said. He opposes giving Maldivian territory to foreign ownership and allocating land under the current plan.
“Shaheem spoke about this in the cabinet. If the agreement to sell Rasmalé is signed, Shaheem will not remain (in the government), be assured of that,” one source said. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because cabinet discussions are confidential.
Sources said Shaheem is not expected to stay in the government until the end of its term.
Shaheem did not answer phone calls on Saturday night or respond to text messages seeking comment. The President’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Eagle Hills, owned by Emirati billionaire Mohamed Alabbar, signed commercial terms with the government on Sept. 21 to buy the land. The site is being reclaimed from the Fushidhiggaru lagoon using state funds. The government has not announced any pause in plans to sign a definitive agreement, which unconfirmed reports say could come this month.
The project has drawn growing opposition in the Indian Ocean archipelago, where the constitution restricts citizenship to Muslims. Opposition figures and a nationalist movement have staged rallies against the deal. They say it would allow foreigners, including non-Muslims, to settle in the country.
Adhaalath Party sources said Muizzu proposed the coalition partly to stop Shaheem from leaving and drawing religious scholars into opposition.
“Therefore, fearing that Shaheem might leave the government and take control of the Adhaalath Party, and that the voices of religious scholars would grow louder and work against Muizzu, they are forming a coalition with Adhaalath,” one party source said.
The Adhaalath Party’s consultative council voted on Saturday to join the government for the rest of the current term. It also voted to back Muizzu, the candidate of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), in the 2028 presidential election.
