Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Dr Abdulla Muththalib has assured that the Ras Malé development will not provide an opportunity for Israeli settlement in the Maldives.
In a post on LinkedIn, the minister said public concerns surrounding the Ras Malé project extend beyond property prices and land-leasing policies, noting that they are also linked to concerns about Palestine.
The minister said no Israeli citizen or company controlled by Israel would be permitted to participate in any stage of property ownership or investment under the Ras Malé project, whether as a buyer, beneficial owner, shareholder, financier or sales agent.
He dismissed concerns that the project could lead to Israelis entering the Maldives, describing fears that Ras Malé could become an opportunity for Israeli settlement as unfounded. He said such concerns did not reflect how similar situations had unfolded elsewhere in the world, adding that Israeli policies on settlement were aimed at bringing Jewish people from other countries to Israel rather than relocating them to other nations.
Minister Dr Muththalib also said there were no examples anywhere in the world of colonial activity being carried out through holiday homes or leased land for foreign visitors in an independent country. He described claims suggesting that Ras Malé could facilitate such activity as fearmongering without any factual basis.
The minister noted that the government had banned entry to the Maldives for holders of Israeli passports in April 2025. He argued that it was unreasonable to suggest that an administration which had taken such a strong measure would secretly allow transactions that violated the same principles.
According to the minister, Eagle Hills has also made clear that it would fully comply with Maldivian laws. He added that the government would take further measures to ensure the Ras Malé project did not lead to a Israeli population settling in the Maldives.
The minister said all prospective property buyers and beneficial owners would be required to disclose every nationality they currently hold or have held previously. If false information is provided, the lease agreement could be terminated, the property confiscated by the state and the money paid forfeited to the government. These checks would be repeated whenever ownership changes.
Dr Muththalib explained that residency would be available only through the existing Corporate Resident Visa scheme. All applications submitted under the current administration would be subject to the ban on Israeli passport holders and the nationality-screening procedures outlined above.
He added that land would be leased only to eligible parties. No party would be granted freehold ownership of the land or the right to renew a lease indefinitely at its discretion.