Millions Paid to ‘Abdulla’: Alabbar’s Rasmalé Remark Sparks Political Firestorm

A political storm has erupted in the Maldives after Mohamed Alabbar, the owner of Eagle Hills, was reported to have told a meeting in the country that his company had paid millions of dollars to a person named Abdulla. The remark was made during a meeting attended by senior government figures and prominent businessmen, at a time when the country is facing severe dollar shortages. Reliable sources cited in the report said businessmen at the meeting expressed concern that the Rasmalé project was being run in a way that brought no financial benefit to the Maldives. Responding to questions, Alabbar said the company had given money to someone called Abdulla on several occasions. Questions have since grown over which Abdulla he meant, and over whether the money was linked to the Rasmalé land reclamation or other transactions carried out outside the banking system. Particular attention has fallen on Construction and Infrastructure Minister Dr. Abdulla Muttalib, who has played the leading role in signing the project agreements and overseeing implementation. Suspicions have also been raised over his family ties and over travel by people described as “brothers,” including trips to Dubai, Singapore and Beijing earlier this year. Critics have also questioned why Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed and Tourism Minister Mohamed Amin have remained distant from the transactions despite the project’s economic and tourism significance. There are growing calls for the government to clarify who Abdulla is, disclose the truth to the public, and carry out an independent audit of the entire Rasmalé project.