In accordance with the Zakat act which came into force on January 1, the Zakat council has been established and commenced its operations.
The first meeting of the zakat council took place on January 14, Tuesday. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Islamic Affairs and President of the Zakat council, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed.
Discussions centered on strengthening the governance and functions of the Zakat house. Emphasis was given to strengthening the administrative governance of the Zakat house in order to ensure that results can be measured and work can be transparent, the Zakat house confirmed.
The Zakat council comprises of 9 representatives from Islamic and financial institutions. These include representatives from Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Supreme council of fatwa, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) and experts in zakat appointed specially by the President.
According to the Zakat House, the council will provide recommendations on matters relevant to the zakat house. In addition to this, administrative governance, policy formulation and the monitoring and supervision of Maldives’ zakat system all fall under the responsibilities of this council, it said.
The Zakat house further stressed that the initiation of the zakat council’s operations along with the establishment of the zakat house under the new legal framework signals an important step towards the implementation of the Zakat act.
The legislation was passed by the People’s Majlis and ratified by the President on 6 December 2025. It came into force on 1 January 2026.
The Zakat Act sets out a comprehensive system for the payment, administration and distribution of Zakat in the Maldives in line with Islamic principles, with an emphasis on transparency and effective management of Zakat funds.