Former President Abdulla Yameen has warned that any future administration will annul the agreement to lease a portion of Rasmale’ to UAE-based real estate developer Eagle Hills without paying any compensation, asserting that the deal violates Maldivian law.
Speaking last at a rally organised by the “Dhivehinge Bin Dhivehinah” (Maldivian Land for Maldivians) national movement, Yameen said he was certain that whether his own party or the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) wins the next presidential election, any government replacing the current administration would immediately void the contract.
“By the grace of Allah, I firmly believe that whether it is my government or an MDP government, if anyone other than this current administration wins the next election, there is no doubt about it,” Yameen told the crowd.
Directing his remarks at Eagle Hills founder Mohamed Alabbar, the former president added: “Listen Alabbar. Listen Zionists. Even if this land is handed over to you, it will be taken back, and no compensation will be paid. This land is not being given in accordance with the laws of the Maldives.”
Yameen further stated that once the Rasmale’ agreement is terminated by an incoming administration, all individuals involved in facilitating the deal will face criminal investigations, prosecution, and legal penalties.
“When the next government comes in and reverses this, all of these individuals will be brought before the courts,” he said. “They will be subjected to criminal investigations, and they will face criminal punishment.”
Calling for a public referendum on the Rasmale’ development deal, Yameen insisted that consulting the public is a constitutional necessity rather than a choice left to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s discretion.
The remarks come ahead of a major protest scheduled for tonight at 8:30 pm against the proposed transfer of land in Rasmale’, as the government moves forward rapidly with plans to allocate 500 hectares of the reclaimed island to Eagle Hills.
The former president’s remarks come amid mounting political scrutiny of the commercial terms agreement signed on 21 September 2026 between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and Eagle Hills, which allocates 500 hectares of reclaimed land under a 99-year leasehold.
The agreement also faces active legal opposition. Legal counsel and former MP Ali Hussain has requested a Supreme Court review following the Registrar’s procedural dismissal of a constitutional petition against the deal. Backed by the opposition campaign “Maldivians’ Land for Maldivians”, the petition argues that granting land without rent or acquisition fees breaches Article 250 of the Constitution, while long-term foreign lease structures contravene Article 251.
The administration has firmly defended the agreement. Ministers have stated that absolute ownership of the underlying land remains with the Maldivian state, with Eagle Hills holding rights limited exclusively to above-ground developments.
Speaking on the President’s Office podcast The Pulse, President Muizzu affirmed that Ras Malé remains fully under Maldivian sovereignty and constitutional jurisdiction, reiterating that statutory restrictions on non-Islamic places of worship apply throughout the development just as they do across the country.
