News Desk
Malé, Maldives — President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu appointed Mohamed Saleem, a judge from Faafu Atoll’s Bilehdhoo Island, to the Maldives Supreme Court on Wednesday, alongside Abdulla Hameed, a former justice, to fill two vacant seats. Aisha Shujoon Mohammed, the court’s senior-most justice, administered the oath. The elevation of Justice Saleem, whose brother serves as a member of Parliament for Faafu Atoll alongside the president’s sister, Fathimath Sauda, has intensified scrutiny of the small atoll’s growing role in Maldivian politics and its contentious development projects.
Justice Saleem, a High Court legal officer for 12 years, was appointed a judge during a 2018 judicial overhaul by the Maldivian Democratic Party, which removed justices seen as opposing the government. His rise to the Supreme Court has prompted questions about political favoritism, given Faafu Atoll’s representation in national leadership. The atoll, among the Maldives’ least populous, is home to the foreign minister and two MPs, including Saleem’s brother and Ms. Sauda.
Beyond the judiciary, Faafu Atoll has drawn attention for two airport projects, just 15 minutes apart by boat, fueling local and national debate. The Magoodhoo Airport, under construction since October 2022 by the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company, is 75 percent complete, with an 1,800-meter runway designed for private jets. Valued at $14.98 million, it is expected to open in 2025. The project was paused last year under President Muizzu’s administration, prompting protests from Magoodhoo residents who claimed the government prioritized Nilandhoo, where Ms. Sauda won a parliamentary seat in April.
In March 2024, the government contracted the same company for an $18.1 million airport in Nilandhoo, involving 42.6 hectares of reclaimed land and a 2,500-meter runway to serve larger aircraft and nearby resorts in Dhaalu Atoll. Heena Waleed, a spokesperson for the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives, said the Nilandhoo project fulfilled campaign pledges by President Muizzu, not political favors for his sister’s constituency. The government argues that both airports will boost tourism, despite their proximity.
Opposition leaders and Magoodhoo residents have criticized the suspension of the Magoodhoo project as politically driven. President Muizzu has since pledged to finish both projects. The Magoodhoo project has since resumed, with runway tarring and terminal construction underway.
The appointment of Justice Saleem and the airport controversies have placed Faafu Atoll at the center of Maldivian politics. Analysts note that the administration’s decisions are under increasing scrutiny for perceived favoritism, as family ties and infrastructure projects converge in one of the Maldives’ smallest atolls.
