President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed on Saturday evening led the official celebrations marking the Maldives’ 61st Independence Day at Republic Square, with a senior Saudi royal attending as the Guest of Honour on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
His Royal Highness Prince Dr Mansour bin Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Minister of State and Member of the Saudi Cabinet, represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the ceremony on behalf of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. His attendance highlighted the close diplomatic ties between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia.
President Muizzu and the First Lady were welcomed at Republic Square by Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Heena Waleed, Minister of Defence and National Security Hassan Rasheed, and Chief of Defence Force Major General Ibrahim Hilmy. The President and First Lady later received the Saudi Guest of Honour upon his arrival at Izzuddin Jetty.
The ceremony opened with a Presidential Salute and a 21-gun salute, followed by a ceremonial march-past by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and contingents of the Maldives National Cadet Corps representing 15 schools. The marching units paid the Presidential Salute during the parade.
The evening also featured cultural performances by students from Shaheed Ali School, Rehendhi School and Iskandhar School, as well as military displays by the MNDF and performances by the Heyvalla Cultural Troupe. The celebrations concluded with a fireworks display over the capital.
Among those attending the national celebration were Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Chief Justice Uz Abdul Ghanee Mohamed, Bangladesh’s High Representative to the Chief Adviser on the Rohingya Crisis and Priority Issues Dr Khalilur Rahman, Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, senior state officials and members of the diplomatic corps.
The Maldives celebrates Independence Day every year on 26 July, commemorating the country’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1965 after ending its status as a British protectorate. This year’s celebrations marked the nation’s 61st anniversary of independence.
