News Desk
Male’ — Shaykh Dr. Salah AlBudair, the imam of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, arrived in the Maldives on Wednesday for a landmark official visit, the first by an imam of the sacred mosque in four decades. Greeted with a red-carpet welcome at Velana International Airport, he was warmly received by the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Mohammed Shaheem Ali Saeed, the chief imam of the Islamic Centre, Mohammed Lateef, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Shahdee.
The visit, initiated at the invitation of the Maldivian government under President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and approved by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz, underscores the deepening ties between the two nations. It marks a rare moment in the Maldives’ religious and diplomatic history, with the last such visit occurring in the early 1980s for the opening of the Islamic Centre.
Dr. Budair, a revered Islamic scholar and eloquent reciter of the Quran, is known for leading Taraweeh prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, one of Islam’s holiest sites. His visit is packed with engagements aimed at fostering religious dialogue and inspiration. He is scheduled to meet President Dr. Muizzu, Minister Shaheem, and the Supreme Council of Islamic Fatwa, as well as young preachers, Quran memorizers (Huffaz), and imams from mosques across the country.
The imam will also connect with religious scholars and students at the National Center for the Holy Quran and private institutions. A highlight of his itinerary is a visit to the King Salman Mosque, a gift from Saudi Arabia, where he will lead the Maghrib and Isha prayers on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, he will lead the Isha prayer at the Islamic Centre and deliver a special sermon. On Friday, Dr. Budair will lead the Friday prayer congregation at the Islamic Centre, an event expected to draw large crowds.
The visit carries deep significance for the Maldives, a Muslim nation where religious scholarship and Quranic recitation hold profound cultural importance. Dr. Budair’s reputation as a scholar and his soulful recitations have earned him admiration across the Islamic world, making his presence a moment of pride for many Maldivians.
This is not the first time a prominent imam from Saudi Arabia has visited the region. In the 1980s, Shaykh Muhammad al-Subayl, an imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, attended the opening of Islamic Centre, a parallel moment of religious diplomacy.
