News

Maldives named ‘Best Long-Haul Destination of the Year’

Published

1 year ago

02/02/2023

The Maldives was named ‘Best Long-Haul Destination of the Year’ at the UK Food and Travel Magazine Reader Awards 2022.

The awards were presented on January 19, at London’s Royal Automobile Club.

Maldives won the championship after competing against destinations such as Canada, Ecuador, Fiji, Japan, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, South Korea, and the Caribbean.

One of the top gastronomic travel publications in the world, UK’s Food and Travel Magazine has seven worldwide versions, and has been published by Green Pea Publishing Limited for the past 25 years.

Since the publication’s founding, the Food and Travel Magazine Reader Awards have been a highlight in the hospitality and travel sectors. With honours bestowed in 23 categories, including the top eateries, chefs, hotels, locations, tour guides, cruise lines, and airlines, it honours and recognizes the “crème de la crème” of the tourism sector’s food and beverage industry.

Over the years, the UK has consistently ranked among the top source markets for the Maldives. The UK is the third-largest source market for visitors to the Maldives, with 10,025 arrivals (8.2% of the market share) as of January 22, 2023.

In 2022, the Maldives saw an 185.6 percent increase in visits from the UK with 179,309 visitors.

In order to keep the momentum for the destination going, MMPRC hosted a number of events in this area last year. This involved attending important trade exhibitions like WTM London 2022, going on familiarization visits, and participating in destination roadshows in London, Manchester, and Newcastle. It also included joint marketing initiatives like the one with British Airways.

MMPRC has a lot of similar events scheduled for this market throughout 2023.

MMPRC carried out 178 marketing actions in total in 2022. This included over 90 marketing efforts, 44 fair appearances, six roadshows, ten virtual events, eighteen familiarization tours, and ten additional international events.

The Maldives received its 1.6 millionth visitor for the year in December 2022, two weeks before the year’s conclusion, achieving its tourist arrivals goal for the year.

2022 also saw Maldives win the title of “World’s Leading Destination” at the 2022 World Travel Awards for the third consecutive year, while MMPRC received the coveted title of “World’s Leading Tourist Board” in a historic first.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

Maldives’ ex-president Yameen walks free after Aarah conviction overturned

Published

8 hours ago

18/04/2024

Former Maldivian leader Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom walked free on Thursday, after the High Court overturned a conviction against him for money laundering and bribery.

Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison on December 25, 2022, on charges of bribery and money laundering in connection to the sale of V. Aarah. The High Court delivered its verdict on Thursday, after a months-long pause in the appeal proceedings.

But instead of a full exoneration, the court overturned the two convictions and ordered a retrial in the case.

Earlier on Thursday, the High Court overturned the three-year prison sentence issues against Yameen’s co-defendant in the case, former Felidhoo MP Yoosuf Naeem, who was convicted of bribing the former president.

Delivering the judgement, Judge Hassan Shafeeu – who chaired the three-member bench – said that the Criminal Court committed major wrongs in the trial. He said the verdict was issued “outside the bounds of the law.”

The other two judges concurred.

The High Court’s judgement comes four months after it concluded appeal hearings in the case. The sentencing hearing was scheduled on Wednesday night, after Speaker Mohamed Aslam – a top politician from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – threatened to lodge a case with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) over the prolonged appeal process.

This marks the second time for a court to overturn a conviction against Yameen. In 2021, the Supreme Court overturned a five-year sentence issued against him for money laundering in connection to the sale of GA. Vodamulla – another island which was leased for resort development during his administration.

The conviction in the Aarah case had disqualified Yameen from contesting the 2023 presidential elections. Though he initially asked the then-opposition PPM-PNC (Progressive Party of Maldives-People’s National Congress) coalition to boycott the election, he later endorsed President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who won the vote taken by the coalition’s joint senate to produce a backup candidate.

Yameen was transferred home on October 1, 2023 – a day after President Muizzu won the presidential election.

But less than a week after President Muizzu took office in November, Yameen left the ruling PPM-PNC and initiated efforts to form a new party, the People’s National Front (PNF).

He has also grown increasingly vocal in his criticism of President Muizzu’s administration, has repeatedly alleged that President Muizzu and other members of the PPM-PNC leadership had never wanted him freed.

Source(s); sun.mv

News

Seventy-five housing units to be established in Dhiggaru

Published

8 hours ago

18/04/2024

The Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development has awarded the project of constructing 75 housing units in Dhiggaru, Meemu Atoll to the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).

The agreement for the project was officially signed by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development Zeeniya Ahmed Hameed and the Chief Executive Officer at MTCC Abdulla Ziyad during a ceremony.

Under the terms of the agreement, the project will entail the construction of 75 housing units spread across 1,000 acres in Dhiggaru. Each unit will consist of three rooms, three washrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen, a dining area, and a laundry room. The project is slated to commence and be completed within 420 days.

This initiative stems from President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to Dhiggaru last year, during which he pledged to kickstart the construction of 75 housing units and committed to further development in the area in the following year.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Hilmy appointed as new defense chief

Published

15 hours ago

18/04/2024

Major General Ibrahim Hilmy has been appointed as the new Chief of Defense Force.

The appointment was made President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the Commander in Chief of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), on Thursday.

He was presented with his letter of appointment in a ceremony held at the President’s Office on Thursday morning.

The president also appointed Brigadier General Ahmed Ghiyas as the Vice Chief of Defense Force.

Hilmy, who had been serving as Vice Chief of Defense Force, was promoted to the position of the Chief of Defense Force following the outgoing Chief of Defense Force, Lieutenant General Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef’s retirement on Wednesday.

Abdul Raheem had received an honorable discharge from military service upon reaching 60 years of age.

He served for 39 years.

Source(s): sun.mv