Category: News in Brief

First lady’s father dies aged 69

Ali Abdulla, prominent Maldivian businessman and father of the First Lady Laila Ali, died on Friday November 19 aged 69.

Abdulla passed away while being treated for an illness at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital. The First Lady was unable to attend the funeral as she was away on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, the Dhivehi Observer (DO) reported.

Abdulla entered into business following his banishment for dissent, DO reported, going on to create the Alia business empire which dealt in trade and tourism, opening one of the first modern hotels in Male’.

Late Ali Abdulla was awarded the National Award of Recognition in 1980 acknowledging his contribution to develop the trade of carpentry and wood works in the country.

The funeral was held in the Islamic Centre after the Friday prayer and was attended by President Mohamed Nasheed, who flew home early from a state visit to Sri Lanka.

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Maldives contributes double-digit boost to South Asia tourist growth

The Maldives has contributed strong growth to the overall number of tourists arriving within the South Asia region during August, according to new travel industry-supplied figures.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) says that international arrivals to the Maldives were up by 27 per cent during the month when compared to the same period the previous year.

The South Asia region as a whole, which also includes Sri Lanka, India and Nepal among its members, posted an increase of the 10 per cent in the total number of monthly visitors during August 2009, according to the association’s figures.

PATA claimed that a more stable outlook within global economics and a growing number of airline services and seats has allowed the Asia Pacific region to benefit from a surge in tourist demand, particularly during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer holiday period.

Total regional tourist growth for August was seen by the association as being slower than the figures recorded during the previous three months, which were found ranging between 14 and 16 percent. However, PATA remained optimistic about the prospects for tourism across Asia and the Pacific Rim territories in 2010.

“To date, visitor arrivals have grown by a very positive 12 percent during the first eight months of the year,” the association stated.

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Poster exhibition in Sultans Park to mark World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse

The NGO Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) is hosting a poster exhibition in Sultans Park November 19 from 4pm to 6pm to mark World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

The posters displayed at the exhibition will consist of those received for the poster competition that ARC announced on 10 October 2010, on the theme “Against the many faces of child abuse”.

This poster competition and exhibition is held in association with Thilafushi Corporation and in partnership with United Artists of Maldives (UAM).

ARC will also be launching a holiday programme, including swimming and art, for children at the Kudakudhinge Hiyaa orphanage on November 20, the Universal Chidren’s Day.

The swimming programme will be conducted in conjunction the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

The NGO said it hoped both the swimming and art lessons would “give the children more self confidence as well as give them something meaningful and fun to look forward to, especially during the holidays when schools are closed.”

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Damaged and excess drug cargo seized

A half container of prescription drugs has been seized by local Customs authorities after the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) uncovered damage to products within the shipment, local media reports.

Excess levels of medication beyond those recorded on an invoice attached to the container were also seized from the shipment, which was imported to the country on November 2, 2010, according to Haveeru.

Customs officials quoted in the report said that it was to procedure to dispose of any damaged drugs being brought into the country.

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Third of operating income “bad and doubtful debts”: BML quarterly report

The Bank of Maldives (BML) has reported a stable third quarter profit of Rf 10,412,552 (US$810,000) for the three months to September 2010, a small increase on second quarter profit stemming from a nine percent increase in overall income.

However of the state-owned bank’s third quarter operating income of Rf 140,236,774, almost a third (Rf 55,242,937, or US$4.3 million) was downgraded as provision for “bad and doubtful debts”, a Rf 8 million (US$620,000) increase on bad debts for the second quarter 2010.

Staff costs represented Rf 43,822,269 (US$3.4 million), over half the of the bank’s total operating expenses of Rf 71,110,433 ($US5.5 million).

During the quarter the bank sanctioned 2039 loans, worth Rf 708 million (US$55 million).

The bank also announced a new pension plan and staff provident fund, taking effect in 2011, and selected candidates for its “executive grooming programme”.

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Resort group Anantara plots major anniversary expansion

Anantara, which operates a number of high end resorts and spas across Asia and the Middle East, says it will expand its property portfolio by up to 60 percent next year by extending its presence in markets such as the Maldives.

With the company set to commemorate its first decade in business during 2011, the launch of the Anantara Kihavah Villas in Baa Atoll – scheduled to open in January – marks plans to try and further boost the number of properties in lucrative areas like the Indian Ocean.

“We’ve come a long way since our first resort opening in 2001,” said Peter Carmichael, Anantara’s Senior Vice President, in a statement. “As we move into our tenth anniversary year we will open seven stunning new resorts that will offer guests luxury and tranquility in surroundings that are culturally and environmentally uplifting.”

In the Maldives alone, the company already operates the neighbouring resort properties of Naladhu, Anantara Veli and Anantara Dhigu in the country’s South Male’ Atoll.

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Maldives’ sustainability adviser calls for global eco-reassessment

“I think the green movement needs to take a step back and reassess what it is trying to achieve and how,” Mark Lynas, an adviser to President Mohamed Nasheed on sustainable and environmental issues, has told the Ecologist publication.

In an interview for the ecological publication, Lynas, a British journalist and environmental activist, believes that amidst growing controversy in adopting so-called greener technologies, economies like the Maldives require an ‘engineer’ rather than a ‘propagandist’ to succeed.

Talking of his advisory role to President Nasheed, the journalist claims he aims to try and be practical, rather than idealistic, in pursuing green commitments to help the Maldives meet its ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2020.

“When I’m advising the president of the Maldives, I can’t really say to him ‘Our first job is to confront power and smash corporate control’,” Lynas tells the Ecologist. “I have to say to him, ‘OK, let’s look at getting this amount of solar power on these buildings, this amount of wind on the grid in the capital city, let’s work on this kind of building code for energy efficiency’.”

The full Ecologist interview can be read here.

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Six Senses Laamu to open in April 2011

The new Six Senses Laamu resort, by Six Senses Resorts & Spas, will open in the Maldives in April 2011 the company has announced.

Chairman and CEO of Six Senses Sonu Shivdasani was reported on HospitalityNet as saying the development of the project had been “challenging, [with] unavoidable delays frustrating to all. I believe though that it will all have been worthwhile, as Six Senses Laamu has all the ingredients to make it a hugely popular destination. With its remote (but accessible) location, its pristine reef, its yinyang surfing wave, its contemporary design features and focus on nightlife, it will set a new standard for Six Senses Resorts.”

Shivdasani attributed the delays to the resorts commitment to using only sustainable materials in its design and architecture, and the property’s isolation.

In addition to 97 villas, the resort will offer 10 beach front residences for purchase at U$2.5 million, fully staffed and managed by the resort part of a managed rental programme with a guaranteed five year five percent yield.

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Islamic Foundation slaughters goats for public Eid al-Adha feast

The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives has announced plans to slaughter a “considerable number” of goats to celebrate Eid al-Adha, in keeping with the sunnah of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

The sacrificial ceremony will be held around 8:30am at Maafannu Madharusaa following Eid prayers, the Foundation said in a press statement.

The slaughtering will be carried out by Sheikh Adam Naseem (BA), Sheikh Mohamed Moosa, Sheikh Ahmed Moosa, Sheikh Ahmed Maumoon, Sheikh Izzaddeen Adnan, al usthaaz Ahmed Nizam and many other dignitaries, the Foundation stated.

The Foundation invites all its members, their immediate families, special guests and all Muslim brothers and sisters to a feast prepared from the meat, tonight at 8:30pm.

Eid al-Adha is the latter of the two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims annually on the 10 day of the Zulhijjah, the last month of the lunar Islamic calendar, the Foundation explained.

“The sacrifice commemorates the willingness of Abraham (AS) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Ismail) as an act of obedience to the Command of Allah, before He intervened to provide Abraham with a ram to sacrifice instead.”

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