President Solih appoints new Tourism Minister of Maldives

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Thursday appointed Dr Abdulla Mausoom as Maldives' new Minister of Tourism.

President Solih awarded the letter of appointment to Dr Mausoom during a special ceremony held at the President's Office on Thursday afternoon. Justice Mahaz Ali Zahir of the Supreme Court administered the oath.

Previously, Dr Mausoom was the Maldivian High Commissioner to Singapore, and the non-resident High Commissioner to both Australia and New Zealand. He was removed from these posts with his new appointment as the Tourism Minister.

Dr Mausoom holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Studies from the University of Birmingham, UK, becoming the first Maldivian to earn a PhD in the field of tourism development. He also attained a Master of Science in Hotel and Catering from the University of Ulster, UK.

Dr Mausoom's former services in the Maldivian government, in particular the tourism sector, include positions as Minister and Deputy Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Minister of Environment, Energy and Water in 2008 during the administration of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He was a senior member of Maldives Tourism Promotion Board and parliamentary representative for Haa Alif's Kelaa constituency in 2009.

Prior to his ministerial appointment in the Maumoon government, Dr Mausoom led the board of Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Dr Mausoom began his political career alongside Maumoon in Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), working closely with the former president and former DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.

In addition, he had served as the general manager of the largest tourist resort in Maldives, Sun Island.

The new tourism minister's appointment comes approximately a month after his predecessor, Ali Waheed, was sacked over allegations of sexual harassment raised by female staff of the tourism ministry. Following Waheed's initial refusal to resign as per President Solih's order, he was terminated on July 9.

The acting head of the tourism ministry till date was Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail.