Salaf proposes eight principles to follow when implementing developmental projects

Jamiyyathul Salaf has proposed eight key principles to be followed when formulating major development projects, including the Rasmalé development project contracted to UAE-based company Eagle Hills.

Following discussions with various government authorities regarding the “Maldives Waterfront and Marina” project, the organisation expressed concerns and urged the Maldivian government to incorporate these eight principles into the implementation of large-scale development initiatives.

Salaf’s primary concern centres on the potential long-term social and religious implications of hosting people from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds in a specific area for extended periods. The organisation noted that such environments could eventually lead to calls for religious pluralism or freedoms that conflict with the country’s existing values.

The organisation called on the government to ensure that all agreements and legal frameworks are structured to protect the Maldives’ religious identity, national sovereignty and independence. It stressed that the country’s constitutional status as a 100 percent Muslim nation must remain uncompromised.

Accordingly, Jamiyyathul Salaf submitted eight key principles for the government to be followed when drafting development agreements and legal frameworks:

• Protection of Islamic identity and national sovereignty
• Safeguarding the state’s strategic independence and sovereignty
• Conducting research on demographic changes and potential security risks
• Ensuring economic development delivers maximum benefits to citizens
• Establishing a policy of transparency and full disclosure
• Maintaining a balance between an open economy and national principles
• Establishing a permanent monitoring system
• Assessing social impacts

Salaf also specifically urged the government to ensure that no citizen of “Israel” — which it described as a Zionist occupation established through the seizure of Palestinian lands — receives any direct or indirect benefits from, or participates in, such projects.

The Rasmalé project has attracted concerns from various sectors. Opposition groups have repeatedly claimed that the project could facilitate the settlement of Israelis in the Maldives and argued that it offers no substantial benefits to Maldivians. They have also alleged that the land agreements in Rasmalé would automatically renew every 99 years indefinitely.

However, the government has consistently rejected these claims.

Responding to the allegations on the President’s Office podcast “The Pulse”, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu said the opposition was deliberately misrepresenting the facts surrounding the large-scale project to achieve political objectives.

The President also clarified that properties developed by UAE-based Eagle Hills in Rasmalé would be leased for 99 years. Once the lease period expires, the properties must be sold back to the Maldivian state.

As the details of the agreement have not yet been made public, Jamiyyathul Salaf has also urged the government to move away from secrecy. The organisation called on the administration to ensure transparency by disclosing the terms of the agreement and consulting the public on the matter.