Former Agriculture and Animal Welfare Minister Dr Mariyam Mariya has been appointed as an Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, months after leaving the Cabinet as part of the government’s post-election restructuring.
Mariya was appointed to the senior diplomatic position earlier this month, although the government has yet to announce whether she will subsequently be nominated as the Maldives’ ambassador to a specific country.
Ambassadors-at-Large are senior diplomatic appointments that can involve representing the Maldives on specific international matters or carrying out diplomatic assignments without initially being posted to a particular country. Several former ministers have also been given the title before later being selected for overseas ambassadorial postings.
Mariya was among 10 Cabinet ministers who left their positions on April 14 as President Dr Mohamed Muizzu reorganised his administration following the Local Council Elections. The President’s Office said at the time that the changes were intended to allow the President to implement reforms in line with public expectations.
The reshuffle followed the April 4 Local Council Elections, after which the government acknowledged that the results had influenced changes to the structure of the administration.
Mariya had been serving as Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare when she stepped down. She was moved to the agriculture portfolio in December 2024 after previously serving as Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, a position she had held since the beginning of the Muizzu administration in November 2023.
During her time overseeing agriculture, Mariya was involved in government efforts aimed at strengthening domestic food production and food security, including agricultural development initiatives and cooperation with international organisations.
