Food & Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM) 2026 concluded with a major celebration of culinary excellence as Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives emerged as one of the strongest performers of this year’s Global Culinary Challenge, securing the Most Outstanding Organisation Award while Maldivian chef Muslima Adam made history by winning the competition’s prestigious Best Chef title.
The FHAM 2026 Awards Ceremony was held at Hulhulhe Island Hotel at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, 10 September, bringing this year’s edition of one of the Maldives’ prominent food and hospitality industry events to a close. The ceremony recognised chefs and hospitality professionals who demonstrated outstanding technical ability, creativity and culinary expertise across more than 20 competitive categories.
The most significant individual recognition of the ceremony went to Muslima Adam of Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives, who was named Best Chef of the FHAM Global Culinary Challenge 2026. Her achievement carries particular significance for the Maldivian hospitality industry, as she became the first Maldivian and the first Maldivian female chef to secure the Best Chef title at the competition.
Muslima delivered an exceptional performance across the four categories in which she competed, winning three gold medals and one silver medal. Her results included category victories in Appetizers – Hot and Cold, Seafood – Hot Cooking and Yellow-Fin Tuna Steak – Hot Cooking, demonstrating versatility across several demanding areas of professional culinary competition.
Her success was further recognised with the Best Maldivian Chef award, making her one of the most prominent award recipients of FHAM 2026. The achievement highlights the increasing visibility of Maldivian culinary professionals and the expanding opportunities available for local chefs to demonstrate their capabilities alongside experienced hospitality professionals working across the country’s internationally recognised tourism industry.
Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives also secured the Most Outstanding Organisation Award, strengthening the resort’s presence at this year’s competition. The property achieved recognition across several areas of the Culinary Challenge, reflecting the depth of talent represented by its culinary team. In addition to Muslima Adam’s major honours, Aminath Amaany Hussain of Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives was named Best Maldivian Pastry Chef, while R.L. Sai Krishna of the resort won The Young Chef category for Main Course and Dessert.
The resort’s performance across senior, pastry and young-chef categories demonstrated a broad level of culinary capability within its team. Securing both the competition’s leading organisational award and its most prestigious individual chef title gave Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives a prominent position in the 2026 edition of FHAM and further highlighted the role of resort culinary teams in developing professional talent within the Maldives.
The results also underline the importance of investing in Maldivian professionals within the hospitality industry. As the Maldives continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, the development of skilled local chefs and hospitality professionals remains an important component of maintaining high service standards and creating stronger career pathways for Maldivians within the sector.
Muslima’s success is particularly significant for women pursuing professional careers in the culinary and hospitality industries. Her recognition at a major industry competition demonstrates the growing contribution of Maldivian women across specialised areas of tourism and provides greater visibility for local professionals competing at high levels within the country’s resort sector.
FHAM’s Culinary Challenge featured more than 20 competitive categories this year, offering chefs from resorts, hotels, culinary institutions and hospitality businesses an opportunity to showcase their skills before industry professionals. The competition covered a wide range of disciplines, including pastry, baking, artistic presentation, meat and seafood preparation, Maldivian cuisine, coffee, desserts and team-based culinary challenges.
The breadth of participating properties also reflected the diversity of the Maldives’ hospitality industry, with award-winning chefs representing resorts and hotels located across the country. Participants competed not only for category recognition but also for major distinctions including Best Chef, Best Maldivian Chef, Best Pastry Chef, Best Maldivian Pastry Chef and Most Outstanding Organisation.
The main awards for FHAM 2026 saw Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives receive the Most Outstanding Organisation Award, while Muslima Adam of Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives won both Best Chef and Best Maldivian Chef. Don Madushanka of COLORS OF OBLU MALDIVES was named Best Pastry Chef, while Aminath Amaany Hussain of Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives received the Best Maldivian Pastry Chef award.
In the individual competition categories, Don Madushanka of COLORS OF OBLU MALDIVES won the Petits Fours or Pralines Competition, while Liyana Arachchige Nirash Anuja Jayarathna of Niva Kurumba Maldives secured first place in the Creative Bread Display Competition. Najila Nasik of Deens Cake Academy (Pvt) Ltd won the Artistic Pastry Showpiece Competition, and Siddeeq Ibrahim of Nashee Cakes claimed the Wedding Cake Structure Competition title.
Sweta Limbu of Huvafenfushi Maldives won the Dress the Cake Competition, while Namal Sri Pathma Kumara Rathna of Veligandu Maldives Resort Island was recognised as the winner of the Fruit & Vegetable Carving Competition. Muslima Adam of Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives won the Appetizers – Hot and Cold Competition before adding further victories in two major hot-cooking categories.
Lewis Valerian of Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru won the Lamb – Hot Cooking Competition, while Muslima Adam secured the Seafood – Hot Cooking Competition title. Akila Dasun Magoda Gamage of Adaaran Club Rannalhi won the Poultry – Hot Cooking Competition, and D.M. Saman Kumara of Adaaran Prestige Vadoo emerged as the winner of the Beef – Hot Cooking Competition.
Muslima Adam added another victory for Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives by winning the Yellow-Fin Tuna Steak – Hot Cooking Competition. Lahiru Dananjaya of Joali Maldives won the White Fish Fillet – Hot Cooking Competition, while Sampuran Nand Naithani of Adaaran Club Rannalhi secured the Creative Dunar Rice Dish Competition title.
Ahmed Ahsan Shareef of Hulhule Island Hotel won the Traditional and Modern Maldivian Main Course Competition, providing further recognition for local culinary traditions within the challenge. R.L. Sai Krishna of Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives won The Young Chef competition for Main Course and Dessert, adding another major result to the resort’s overall performance.
Prem Shashikant Chavan of Anantara Kihavah Maldives won the Nescafé Creative Coffee Competition, while Ria Sabnam of Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas secured the Vegetarian/Vegan Appetizer & Main Course Competition. Manoj Kumar Dubey of Hulhule Island Hotel won the Potato Innovation Competition, and Tharaka Herath of Sandies Bathala Beach & Water Villas won the CBL Ritzbury Professional Creative Dessert Competition.
The Team Challenge – Butchery & Hot Cooking was won by Naveen Lokesh and Prageeth Ahangama of Varu by Atmosphere, completing the list of category winners recognised during the FHAM Global Culinary Challenge 2026.
The strong participation seen at this year’s event reflects the depth of professional expertise working across the Maldives’ tourism and hospitality industry. Culinary competitions such as FHAM provide opportunities for established chefs and emerging professionals to benchmark their skills, exchange knowledge and gain greater industry exposure while contributing to higher professional standards across the sector.
For the Maldives, where tourism remains central to economic activity, continued investment in human capital, hospitality skills and professional development supports the country’s ability to maintain a competitive and high-quality tourism product. The growing representation of Maldivian professionals at major industry events also complements the country’s broader focus on expanding opportunities for local talent within tourism-related careers.
Dusit D2 Feydhoo Maldives’ success at FHAM 2026, particularly the achievements of Muslima Adam, Aminath Amaany Hussain and R.L. Sai Krishna, gave the resort one of the strongest overall performances of the competition. The recognition of a Maldivian female chef as Best Chef also added an important national dimension to this year’s event, demonstrating the capabilities of local professionals within an industry that continues to play a central role in the Maldives’ international profile.
FHAM is scheduled to return next year during the first week of September, continuing its tradition of bringing together chefs, hospitality professionals, businesses and industry stakeholders from across the Maldives. The conclusion of the 2026 edition celebrated not only the competition’s winners but also the wider progress of culinary professionals contributing to the continued development, quality and global reputation of the Maldivian hospitality industry.
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