Economic Minister claims friendly nations assure Maldives of oil and staple supplies under President Muizzu’s leadership

Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed has said the Maldives will not face shortages of oil or staple foods as long as “friendly countries” continue their support, crediting what he described as the wise leadership of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

Speaking at a rally held on Thursday evening to celebrate PNC’s victory in the local council elections earlier this month, Saeed said the situation in the Middle East had weakened the economies of many countries due to the attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran.

Saeed said one of the Maldives’ strengths is that it is a 100 percent Islamic country.

“On top of that, the result of the patience and wisdom of the leader we have is that today we are being told by the countries of the world that as long as they are there, with God’s grace, Maldives would not lack for oil, gas or staple food,” he said.

He said no country can control global changes in food, oil and gas prices. However, despite fluctuations in the world market, the government is working to reduce the burden on the public, he said.

Saeed added that the government plans to relocate Malé’s commercial port to Thilafushi, which he said would bring unexpected changes to the economy. He then responded to former President Mohamed Nasheed’s statement that protests would continue until the President agrees to talks with the MDP.

“It would be best to not try to take us to ‘Aneh Dhivehi‑raajje’ for any talks,” he said, referring to one of Nasheed’s former political slogans.

Commenting on the recent street activities by the MDP and former President Abdulla Yameen’s PNF, Saeed said that when he goes out at night, he sees “things”. He added that the current PNC team is also familiar with street activities “if necessary” and that “a lot of training has been done for it”.

Saeed said the MDP had repeatedly claimed the country would go bankrupt when the President took office, and accused the party of planning a coup before the President was sworn in.

“What have they not done? They tried to create obstacles for our country, sending faxes to different countries, which is their true colour. Every time they lose power, they tell tourists not to come to Maldives, tell other nations not to help us with food, put up all sorts of obstacles,” he said.

At a previous press conference at the President’s Office, Saeed had said the government would not allow gas prices to rise and that food prices would remain stable. He has repeatedly stated that the Maldives faces no difficulty in securing food supplies despite the Middle East conflict.

In reality, many grocers and retail businesses have raised prices. Resorts across the country, including branded properties, have implemented cost‑cutting measures, including power cuts in staff and common areas at different times of the day.

The government has acted promptly and begun working to reduce the negative impacts of the Middle East conflict on the Maldives, but the extent of what has been achieved remains to be seen.