News Desk
Abdulla Yasir has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Visit Maldives, taking over the top seat at the state tourism board following the abrupt exit of his predecessor.
Hailing from Feydhoo in Addu Atoll, Yasir brings years of local tourism experience to the role and holds a Master of Arts in Tourism Business Administration from the UK’s University of Birmingham.
His appointment makes him the second Feydhoo native to lead the tourism corporation under President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration. Fathimath Thaufeeq (Kuda Kikki), who also shares roots in Feydhoo, briefly served as the agency’s MD before being removed by the government in May 2024. Feydhoo is quietly turning into a key talent pool for the administration, which also features Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan from the same southern island.
Yasir steps in following the resignation of Ibrahim Shiuree. Shiuree, who took over in June 2024, handed in his resignation after government officials asked him to step down.
The shakeup comes at a critical time for Visit Maldives—formerly known as MMPRC—as the company struggles with ballooning costs despite rolling out major global campaigns.
The state enterprise pulled in MVR 36 million in revenue last year—a 60 percent jump from the previous year. But heavy spending wiped out those gains, causing profits to tumble by 37 percent to MVR 17 million. That follows a rough 2023 where the company recorded an MVR 18 million loss.
With the government bankrolling nearly 90 percent of the agency’s budget—injecting MVR 154 million over the past two years—all eyes are now on whether the Addu boy can rein in costs while keeping the Maldives visible on the global map.
With President Mohamed Muizzu officially designating 2027 as “Visit Maldives Year” in his Presidential Address, all eyes are on Yasir as the upcoming ITB Berlin trade show—where the Maldives takes center stage—serves as his first massive litmus test on the global stage.
