Supreme Court petition filed to annul Muizzu administration’s Ras Male' agreement with Eagles Hills
28 ސެޕްޓެމްބަރު 2026 | ހޯމަ 18:38A constitutional case has been filed with the Supreme Court seeking to invalidate the government's agreement with UAE-based Eagle Hills for the development of Ras Male', alleging the deal violates the Constitution. The petition argues that granting land for 99 years without any lease rent lacks legal authority, and further requests an interim injunction to suspend the implementation of the agreement until the court reaches a final verdict.
Supreme Court of the Maldives. | RaajjeMV
A constitutional case concerning matters of significant public interest has been filed with the Supreme Court of the Maldives, challenging the validity of the "Commercial Terms Agreement" signed between the Maldivian government and Eagle Hills properties for the development of Ras Male'.
A constitutional challenge was filed in the Supreme Court earlier today, questioning the legal validity of an agreement signed on September 21, 2026, between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and Eagle Hills, a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Maldivian government has refused to disclose the full text and specific details of this agreement. However, legal counsel Ali Hussain, who filed the case, noted that statements released by the government and Eagle Hills properties indicate that the agreement includes the following provisions.
More than 500 hectares of reclaimed land in Ras Male' has been leased to Eagle Hills company for a period of 99 years.
(b) The ownership interests in these lands were granted to Eagle Hills without the requirement to pay any acquisition costs or lease rent.
C. Eagle Hills has been granted the right to enter into rolling lease agreements with third parties for the permanent use of facilities developed on the land.
Article 250 of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives stipulates that any state-owned property or funds shall only be disposed of, sold, leased, or have their ownership transferred in any other manner in accordance with the law.
The case filed with the Supreme Court contends that the Maldives lacks a legal framework authorizing the state to lease public property to foreign entities for a continuous period of 99 years. The petition further asserts that, in the absence of such legal authority, any agreement to lease land to foreign parties for such an extended duration constitutes a direct violation of Article 250 of the Constitution.
Furthermore, the lawsuit challenges the legal validity of clauses within the agreement that grant Eagle Hills the authority to create permanent third-party rights over the land. The case contends that while Article 251 of the Constitution limits land ownership or leasehold rights for foreign entities to a maximum of 99 years, this agreement facilitates a mechanism through which foreign parties could acquire indefinite proprietary interests in Maldivian land.
Consequently, the Supreme Court has been petitioned to declare the agreement null and void, on the grounds that it directly contravenes Articles 250 and 251 of the Constitution.
Furthermore, a temporary injunction has been sought to stay the implementation of the agreement until the Supreme Court reaches a final verdict on the matter.
The injunction was sought to protect the interests of all parties involved by preventing the creation of third-party rights and interests over the land. The objective is to eliminate potential obstacles to the enforcement of a court judgment and to safeguard the State from the significant burden and irreparable harm that could arise if third-party rights, established through the execution of the agreement, were subsequently required to be revoked.
