Muizzu Becomes First President to Visit Every Inhabited Island in Record Time

Muizzu Becomes First Maldivian President to Visit Every Inhabited Island

MALÉ, Maldives — President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has visited every inhabited island in the Maldives less than two years into his term, according to the President’s Office — an ambitious travel record across the country’s far-flung atolls that supporters hail as proof of his hands-on approach and critics dismiss as political theater.

With his arrival Thursday afternoon in Kaafu Thulusdhoo, President Muizzu completed visits to all 187 inhabited islands across the Maldives’ 20 administrative atolls since taking office in November 2023. Officials said he has returned to 63 of them for second visits.

During his travels, President Muizzu has met with island councils, women’s development committees, and residents to discuss infrastructure, policing, and social services. Ministers and heads of state-owned companies have accompanied him, updating communities on development projects ranging from harbor dredging and coastal protection to new schools and health centers.

The administration has used the trips to highlight a push to expand essential services. The Bank of Maldives is rolling out ATMs on every inhabited island, and police posts — once absent from 66 islands — have now been established nationwide. The government has also pledged to decentralize passport and ID card services to all atolls.

President Muizzu’s itinerary has included project inaugurations, site inspections, and ribbon-cuttings, many for infrastructure initiated under previous administrations. His critics say some ceremonies have been repeated for unfinished projects or minor initiatives, such as ATM installations.

The President’s Office called the effort a symbol of Muizzu’s “inclusive development policy,” aimed at ensuring every community directly benefits from national growth. No details have been disclosed about the state budget costs of the extensive travel.

Muizzu’s government marks its second anniversary next month. For now, the president’s island-hopping campaign has set a record in the country’s modern history — a feat even his opponents acknowledge reflects the scale of his ambition.