Pres. Muizzu establishes Maldives Zakat House under Zakat Act
Maldives Zakat House was established Thursday as an agency under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, following President Muizzu's ratification of the country's first Zakat Act in December 2025.
Zakat: Maldives Zakat House was officially established on 01.01.2026
Pursuant to the Zakat Act, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has officially established the Maldives Zakat House as an agency operating under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
The Zakat House was established on Thursday.
With this structural change, the entity previously known as the Maldives Zakat House, which had functioned under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs prior to the enactment of the Zakat Act, has been formally dissolved.
President Muizzu ratified the country’s first Zakat Act on 6 December 2025, with the legislation coming fully into force at the beginning of the current new year.
The act identifies several actions as punishable offenses, including the unauthorized collection of Zakat from individuals who are not legally obligated to pay, as well as the collection of Zakat from assets that are not subject to Zakat requirements.
In addition to thi, the misappropriation of Zakat funds and the making of unauthorized investments using such funds are strictly prohibited under the law.
Individuals found guilty of these offenses may be subject to administrative fines ranging from MVR 1,000 to MVR 100,000, in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
The primary mandate of the Maldives Zakat House is to ensure the efficient collection and distribution of Zakat to its rightful beneficiaries.
The agency is also responsible for announcing the Nisab, the minimum threshold for Zakat on Property, twice each year.
Further, the Zakat House is tasked with compiling, maintaining, and regularly updating the National Registry of the Poor and Needy in collaboration with relevant state authorities.
