The National Museum will be renovated and maintained with support from the Chinese government, with funding for the project already secured, Heritage Minister Heena Waleed has said.

Responding to questions from MPs in Parliament today, Minister Heena said the museum currently displays around 700 artefacts, including items that are more than 1,500 years old.

She said the museum faces challenges in cataloguing, measuring and preserving its collection, prompting the government to seek China's assistance to upgrade the facility.

"We are working with the Chinese government to further develop, repair and maintain the National Museum. The necessary funding has been arranged and the work will begin very soon," Heena said.

The Minister noted that the museum has not undergone major repairs since it was opened, making redevelopment necessary.

The current National Museum building was constructed with assistance from the Chinese government at a cost of USD 5 million and was completed and handed over to the Maldives in July 2010.

The first National Museum in the Maldives was opened on November 19, 1952, by then Minister of State for Home Affairs Mohamed Ameen. The foundation stone for the current building was later laid by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The museum houses collections documenting the Maldives' history, heritage and culture, including artefacts spanning the country's early history, the reigns of its kings and sultans, and other significant historical events.