Minister: No Jewish settlement or business in Rasmalé

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Abdullah Muthalib has assured that Jews will not be allowed to settle or do business in Rasmalé, describing fears spread about the project as baseless. In a post on LinkedIn, the minister said public concerns about the Rasmalé project are not only about the price of the land or lease policies, but also include concerns linked to Palestine. He said no Israeli citizen or any company under Israeli control will be able to take part in any stage of ownership as a buyer, beneficiary, shareholder, financier or sales agent. The minister said the fear being spread that Jews will come to the Maldives because of the Rasmalé project has no basis. He said the claim that Rasmalé could be an opportunity for Jewish settlement is not how things have happened anywhere in the world before. Jewish settlement policies are based on bringing Jews from other countries to Israel, not sending them to other countries, he said. He added that in a free country, there is no example anywhere in the world of such colonial activity being carried out through holiday homes or land leased by foreign parties. He therefore said those spreading such claims are spreading baseless fear. The minister noted that, since April 2025, the government has banned entry into the Maldives on Israeli passports. For a government that took such a strong decision, it is not intellectually acceptable to say it would secretly violate those principles through a land transaction, he said. According to the minister, Eagle Hills has also disclosed that it will fully comply with Maldives laws. He said additional steps will be taken to ensure that a Jewish population will not come to the Maldives because of the Rasmalé project. Every party buying goods and their beneficiaries must disclose citizenship of all countries they hold or have previously held, the minister said. If false information is given, the lease agreement will be void, the property will be taken by the state, and the money paid will also be forfeited to the state, he said. These checks will continue every time ownership changes, he added. The minister said residency will continue to be granted under the existing corporate residency visa. Every application submitted under this government will follow the principle of banning Israeli passports and the country-based screening principle, he said. Land under a lease agreement will only be given to permitted parties, and no party will have the option to permanently own land on a freehold basis or to renew a lease for as long as it wishes, the minister said.