Thinadhoo and Malé City Councils Sign MoU for Joint Collaboration

Malé Mayor Adam Azim and Thinadhoo City Mayor Saud Ali signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Malé today, establishing a historic inter-city partnership to share resources, municipal technology, and professional expertise to empower local communities and strengthen the nation’s decentralisation system.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mayor Azim highlighted that the agreement follows extensive study to identify joint initiatives, promote both cities, and drive regional economic development. The MoU establishes a wide-ranging framework covering institutional capacity building, staff advancement, inter-city trade promotion, and mutual alignment with international municipal standards.

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A major focus of the agreement centres on technological collaboration. Mayor Azim announced that the Malé City Council will share internally developed digital applications and administrative software with island and city councils across the Maldives completely free of charge. He noted that several applications are currently in development, expressing confidence that mutual tech-sharing will make the decentralisation framework more robust and effective.

“If both sides work together, the role played by the decentralisation system in developing the Maldives will be strengthened”, Mayor Azim stated. “That can be achieved when cities and councils speak with one voice. I am confident this will streamline city administration and bring significant progress to residents in both municipalities.”

Thinadhoo Mayor Saud Ali hailed the signing as a milestone moment in Maldivian constitutional history, pointing to the economic ties between Malé’s administrative hub and Thinadhoo, historically a commercial centre for the southern atolls. Mayor Saud emphasised that the partnership opens crucial doors for local governance, offering a durable framework that ensures administrative continuity even during political transitions.

He expressed his commitment to mobilising Thinadhoo’s resources to support the collaboration, noting that joint human resource development initiatives will yield long-term national benefits. Pointing to how major cities like Malé, Thinadhoo, Fuvahmulah, Kulhudhuffushi, and Addu operate, Mayor Saud highlighted that smaller island councils are already striving to follow these benchmarks, and urged them to use this partnership as an example to drive modern governance.