The president opened the new premises of the criminal court and drug court at the Justice Building Annex, a spacious new facility built in Hulhumalé to "address longstanding space constraints and operational challenges" with 15 courtrooms. "The criminal justice system will now be better equipped to reduce case backlogs, strengthen judicial efficiency, and deliver timely justice for all," the attorney general said.
At the official Independence Day function, President Muizzu conferred the Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin upon former chief justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan, former minister Hassan Sobir, and Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim. Former diplomat Ahmed Saleem was recognised with the Most Distinguished Foreign Service Medal. National awards for public service were handed out to 94 recipients.
The national carrier Maldivian's A330 aircraft landed as the inaugural flight to the new terminal and docked to the new passenger boarding bridges. Passengers were greeted with a rose and commemorative badges. A Maldivian flight to Shanghai was the first departure.
The five daily prayer calls will be heard inside the new terminal, President Muizzu announced.
Independence Day celebrations continued with a military parade in Hulhumalé and a float parade in Malé. Neighbourhood community events also took place across the city.
The president opened MCGH Opticals, a new opticianry service at the government-run IGMH, and inaugurated a new dialysis centre in the Hulhumalé hospital.