The Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Maldives hosted a grand reception at Kurumba Maldives to commemorate the Kingdom’s 96th National Day, bringing together senior leaders, diplomats and government officials in a celebration reflecting the longstanding friendship between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed attended the ceremony held on September 23, 2026, alongside cabinet ministers, senior government officials, foreign ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions stationed in the Maldives. A special cake-cutting ceremony was also held to commemorate the occasion and celebrate Saudi Arabia’s National Day with representatives from across the diplomatic and government community.
The reception was held at Kurumba Maldives, one of the most historically significant properties in the country’s tourism industry. Located on Vihamanaafushi in North Malé Atoll, Kurumba traces its history to 1972 and is recognised as the Maldives’ first tourist resort, giving the venue a distinctive place in the country’s economic and tourism development. From its beginnings more than five decades ago, Kurumba has evolved alongside the Maldives’ transformation into one of the world’s best-known island tourism destinations.
Its selection as the venue for Saudi Arabia’s National Day reception brought together two important dimensions of the Maldives’ development story: the country’s globally recognised tourism sector and its longstanding international partnerships. Kurumba’s convenient location near Velana International Airport and Malé, combined with its historic status within the Maldivian hospitality industry, has made the island an established venue for high-level gatherings, celebrations and international engagements.
Addressing the reception, Saudi Ambassador to the Maldives H.E. Yahya Hassan Al-Qahtani reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to further strengthening the longstanding fraternal relationship between Saudi Arabia and the Maldives. He highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s 96th National Day is being celebrated under the theme “Our Pride is Our Nature” and reflected on the historic efforts of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in unifying and establishing the modern Kingdom.
Ambassador Al-Qahtani also highlighted the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, noting the wide-ranging economic and developmental transformation taking place under Saudi Vision 2030. The programme has placed economic diversification, investment, technology, tourism and innovation among the Kingdom’s major areas of development.
Reflecting on relations between Malé and Riyadh, Ambassador Al-Qahtani said the partnership between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia is firmly rooted in Islamic brotherhood, mutual trust, respect and close friendship. Cooperation between the two countries has continued to expand across political, developmental, economic, educational and Islamic fields, demonstrating the broad scope of a relationship that has developed over several decades.
The Ambassador highlighted the official meeting between President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in June 2025 as an important development in strengthening bilateral engagement. Relations have since continued to broaden, with the Maldivian government placing increased emphasis on attracting Saudi investment and developing partnerships extending beyond traditional development assistance into trade, investment and major economic sectors.
President Muizzu has identified Saudi Arabia as an important partner in the Maldives’ economic development ambitions, with the government seeking greater investment cooperation as the country works towards its long-term development objectives. Speaking at the National Day reception, the President highlighted opportunities for Saudi investors across tourism, infrastructure, housing, healthcare, fisheries, renewable energy and logistics, while reaffirming the Maldives’ commitment to strengthening its investment environment.
Saudi Arabia has meanwhile remained one of the Maldives’ important development partners for nearly five decades. Ambassador Al-Qahtani said the Saudi Fund for Development has contributed approximately USD 488 million towards development projects and programmes in the Maldives since 1978. Saudi-supported development has extended across essential sectors including infrastructure, housing, healthcare, water and sanitation, and transport, contributing to projects supporting communities and wider national development.
The partnership is increasingly expanding towards new areas of economic cooperation. The Ambassador highlighted recent high-level Saudi engagement with the Maldives, including discussions aimed at opening further opportunities in tourism, renewable energy, trade and technology. The growing emphasis on commercial and investment partnerships complements the extensive development cooperation that has historically formed an important foundation of relations between the two countries.
For the Maldives, deeper Saudi investment also aligns with the government’s efforts to diversify economic opportunities while strengthening tourism and infrastructure development. Tourism remains central to the Maldivian economy, and greater investment partnerships with Saudi Arabia could support new tourism developments, supporting infrastructure and related industries while creating additional avenues for economic cooperation between businesses in both countries.
Defence and security cooperation has also become an increasingly important area of bilateral engagement. Ambassador Al-Qahtani welcomed official visits to Saudi Arabia by Maldivian Minister of Defence Hassan Rasheed and Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowments Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, reflecting continued high-level exchanges between the two countries.
The Ambassador also highlighted cooperation on regional security and counter-terrorism initiatives, including the Maldives’ participation in Saudi-led security frameworks and its engagement in efforts aimed at strengthening maritime security. Such cooperation reflects the expanding scope of Maldives–Saudi relations beyond development and economic cooperation into regional security and areas of shared strategic interest.
President Muizzu’s participation in the National Day reception further reflected the high-level engagement maintained between the governments of the Maldives and Saudi Arabia. The President has described Saudi Arabia as a cherished and trusted partner of the Maldives and has expressed the government’s intention to expand the relationship into stronger economic and investment cooperation capable of delivering long-term benefits for both countries.
The relationship is also supported by strong religious and cultural ties, with both countries maintaining close cooperation in Islamic affairs. Saudi Arabia has played a longstanding role in supporting Maldivian development and religious initiatives, while high-level exchanges and institutional cooperation continue to strengthen ties between government institutions and communities.
Concluding his remarks at the reception, Ambassador Al-Qahtani expressed gratitude to President Muizzu, the First Lady, the Government and the people of the Maldives for joining the Kingdom’s National Day celebrations. He conveyed his best wishes for the continued friendship, peace, stability and prosperity of Saudi Arabia and the Maldives.
The 96th National Day celebration at Kurumba Maldives therefore served not only as a commemoration of Saudi Arabia’s national journey, but also as a reflection of a bilateral relationship that continues to broaden across development, investment, tourism, trade, Islamic affairs and security cooperation. As Malé and Riyadh strengthen high-level engagement and explore new areas of partnership, both governments have signalled their intention to translate their longstanding friendship into expanded practical cooperation and greater economic opportunities for their peoples.
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