Ban applies to Israeli passports, not specifically to Israeli citizens; however, measures will be in place to ensure they cannot acquire land in Ras Male': Muththalib
15 އޮކްޓޯބަރު 2026 | ބުރާސްފަތި 08:57Minister Muththalib has announced that Israeli citizens and companies are strictly prohibited from participating in any Ras Male' transactions, noting that even those entering the country on foreign passports will be identified and blocked during the ownership verification process. Under the project's regulations, all buyers are required to disclose their full citizenship history, and any provision of false information will result in the immediate termination of the agreement and the seizure of the property by the state.
Minister Muththalib shakes hands after signing the agreement to hand over the Ras Male' land to Eagle Hills. | Raajje MV
Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Abdulla Muththalib, has stated that although Israeli passports have been banned, the restriction applies specifically to the document itself and not to Israeli citizens.
In a post regarding the project, the Minister clarified that while the Israeli passport has been banned, the restriction applies specifically to the passport itself rather than all Israeli citizens. The Minister further noted that an estimated one in ten Israelis holds dual citizenship. Since immigration authorities cannot verify whether an individual holds secondary citizenship at the point of entry, such individuals would still be able to enter the country using a passport from another nation.
The Minister further stated that the entire ownership chain of Ras Male' will remain strictly off-limits to any Israeli citizens or Israeli-controlled entities. He emphasized that this exclusion applies to all capacities, ensuring they cannot participate as buyers, beneficial owners, shareholders, financiers, or sales agents.
Therefore, the Minister stated that there is a greater opportunity to prevent such issues through the verification process conducted during land or property acquisitions, rather than relying on border checkpoint inspections.
In this regard, the Minister stated that every homebuyer and beneficial owner must disclose all current and former citizenships held. Providing false information will result in the cancellation of the lease agreement and the forfeiture of the property to the state. The Minister further noted that any payments made would be non-refundable and seized by the state. These verification procedures will be conducted every time there is a change in property ownership.
The Minister stated that residency visas for investors will be granted under the 'Corporate Resident Visa' framework, which was introduced in 2015 during President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's administration. He noted that this is the standard procedure applied to all business investments and clarified that the policy contains no restrictions against any country, including Israel.
However, the Minister stated that under this project, every application will be subject to nationality screening and procedures related to the ban on Israeli passports.
