An amended dress code imposed restrictions specifically for female civil servants. Women who do not wear the hijab cannot dye their hair in any colour other than black. Female employees must not wear dresses or skirts shorter than ankle length. Long dresses, Dhivehi traditional attire or office wear are acceptable. The garment must be made from “material appropriate for the office environment.” The neckline and bottom must be covered. If the dress is short-sleeved, the sleeves must not be shorter than midway between the shoulder and elbow. If the upper part of a dress, shirt, or suit jacket is open from the collar, front, back, and bottom, no part of the body below or above the chest can be visible when arms are raised.
Hassan Mamdooh 'Manday' was sentenced to 397 years in prison over the fraudulent sale of apartments from the K-Park Residence in Hulhumalé. The lengthiest sentence in the country's history came after he was convicted on 94 counts of charges that included tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering. Co-defendant Jaishan Saeed was also handed a combined sentence of 159 years. The court ordered both men to compensate victims and confiscated assets, including an MVR 8 million (US$520,000) penthouse containing luxury goods. Manday was the minority shareholder of the Hanbo Company that developed the apartment complex. He was accused of taking more than MVR 100 million as payments after forging the signature of managing director Shihu Jin, a Chinese national.
The High Court overturned the Criminal Court's 2022 convictions of Ismail Haisham Rasheed and Ahmed Zihan Ismail for the murder of blogger Yameen Rasheed in April 2017. The High Court ordered a retrial and refused to keep Haisham and Zihan in custody. But the Prosecutor General's Office sought a detention order from the Criminal Court, which was granted. The High Court also reversed acquittals for alleged accomplices Mohamed Dhifran and Ismail Rasheed, sending their cases back to Criminal Court as well. The three-judge bench instructed the lower court to verify whether a secret witness had been coerced by police to identify suspects, as claimed in a letter, and to determine the credibility of testimony from witnesses who identified the masked assailants. The Maldives Journalists Association said the judgment "sends a chilling message: that lives of journalists are expendable and justice is negotiable."
The MJA called for an immediate halt to the government's media grants, citing lack of transparency and a rushed process in the allocation of MVR 28 million to 39 selected outlets. The de facto union of Maldivian journalists raised concerns about unfair point allocation, inadequate verification of eligible outlets, and the awarding of state funding to multiple outlets under the same ownership. State support should be based on public impact and popularity, the association argued.
An investment agreement was signed with Crystal Holdings for the Ayla Sustainable Township, the first project under the special economic zones framework. President Muizzu issued a decree designating Project Ayla as an SEZ. The US$ 790 million 'Project Ayla' in Noonu atoll will feature "luxury real estate, world-class tourism offerings, a leading hospitality school, and high-quality medical and wellness facilities – powered largely by renewable energy and designed to strengthen food security," according to the economic ministry.
The Criminal Court sentenced Ismail Waheed to 25 years and 10 months in prison for sexually abusing a woman and her three children under the guise of performing ruqyah (spiritual healing) over an extended period. Mohamed Aseel, who assisted in detaining the victims, was handed a sentence of six years and nine months. The victims were held captive for three months and subjected to various forms of abuse. The children were also prevented from attending school.
Five e-gates were inaugurated at Velana International Airport for arrivals and departures, using passport scanning and facial recognition technology for immigration clearance. A total of 20 gates are planned for the new terminal. The service is currently available for Maldivians, but it will be extended to foreign travellers in the first quarter of 2026, the airport operator said. The transfer of Turkish Airlines to the new terminal meanwhile marked the completion of shifting operations from the old terminal.
Since an inspection operation was launched on December 9, 96 massage parlours have been shut down in Malé over suspected illicit sexual activities, President Muizzu said. It was regrettable that such establishments continue to operate because there are persons who seek their services, he said, urging the public to unite against "immoral acts" and wrongdoing.
Customs implemented a new goods valuation process that accepts declared invoice prices when importers provide verifiable supporting documents. The change followed complaints from small businesses to President Muizzu about Customs assigning higher values than invoiced prices. Under the new process, which aligns with WTO valuation rules, adjustments exceeding 25 percent of declared values will trigger an automatic verification stage, while smaller adjustments remain subject to the existing three-stage review process. Customs also introduced a simplified declaration process for passengers to clear goods that require payment of import duties.
