Minister of Construction and Infrastructure Dr. Abdullah Muththalib has issued a detailed clarification on the principles governing property ownership, inheritance and visa issuance under the Rasmalé project, responding to claims circulating about the development.
Some parties have argued that if the Rasmalé agreement matches what appears on the website of foreign firm Eagle Hills, the land would be permanently lost from Maldivian hands and inheritance arrangements would be affected. Addressing those concerns and related public questions, Dr. Muththalib set out how property purchase, transfer and inheritance would work under the project.
According to the minister, a buyer of property at Rasmalé obtains ownership of that property itself. The land on which the property stands, however, remains the property of the Maldivian state. If such a property is sold, or if it is to be inherited after the owner dies, the transfer proceeds only after the Maldivian government reviews the matters it is required to examine and grants permission.
Dr. Muththalib said that while a purchaser receives full ownership of the property, the land underneath remains state property. Sale or inheritance would follow specific principles: government review and approval of the required conditions, and payment of a prescribed fee. Claims that such places would pass on automatically by inheritance are contrary to the facts, he said.
He noted that the arrangement is consistent with the system already applied to foreign-owned resorts and large businesses in the Maldives when they are sold, transferred or inherited.
The minister also stressed that buying a property at Rasmalé does not automatically entitle the buyer or their family to a visa. Visas for foreigners coming to the Maldives are granted only by Immigration after all requirements under the Immigration Act have been reviewed. Full authority to grant, change or cancel visas rests with that authority under the law.
Dr. Muththalib said the Maldivian state is a proud independent nation, and that expanding the state's capacity and financial strength is essential to reinforce independence and remain free from foreign influence. He added that a prosperous and developed Maldives is not what parties seeking influence over the country would want, and that what the country most needs now is to advance large, lasting development projects with confidence — more so than short-term small benefits.
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