Bought and silenced by cash inflow into Ras Malé

There is an old, biting truth that people will gladly welcome an adversary into their inner circle as long as they are handed a sweet enough treat. When self-serving motives cloud someone's vision, even the most glaring realities remain invisible.

Warnings can strike with the sheer volume of a crashing thunderbolt, but those listening will act like they heard nothing at all. The unfolding spectacle surrounding the Ras Malé venture embodies this very dynamic.

From the moment it initially came to light, this whole affair has drifted down an intensely suspicious path.

Sinking public cash into failed promises

At the outset, the dredging works were sold to the public as a benevolent venture designed to resolve the nation's suffocating housing shortage.

Authorities went out of their way to pledge that ordinary taxpayers would not surrender a single Laari toward dredging the site.

However, long before the land could even fully rise from the lagoon, the uncomfortable reality pushed its way to the surface. Massive sums running into millions of Rufiyaa, totally unaccounted for within the official state budget, were secretly funneled straight into the project.

The response to this financial betrayal has been dead silence, with every single authority figure tasked with demanding accountability choosing to sit entirely mute.

Even more alarming is that these dredged sands were quietly pledged away to an overseas operation before reclamation works had even wrapped up.

Now, a desperate impulse has emerged across the board to shield Eagle Hills and its boss, Mohamed Alabbar, an individual with widely documented links to Zionist interests. Arriving in the Maldives during early October, Alabbar embarked on a blitz of high-stakes gatherings, rolling out his charm offensive disguised as generous hospitality.

On 8 October 2026, leading figures from the local business sphere, chief executives of state-run enterprises, and handpicked members of the press corps were gathered at Dusit D2 on Feydhoo Finolhu to attend an exclusive banquet hosted by the Eagle Hills chairman himself.

Sizing up the catch with calculated bait

None of this was accidental; Alabbar operates with sheer calculation. Gauging the Maldivian public's storied endurance alongside an enduring appetite for fast opportunity, he clearly calculated that dangling the right lure would easily haul in the grandest catch without breaking a sweat.

The vetting behind who made the guest list remains completely murky. Noticeably seated around the tables were legislators from the ruling People's National Congress.

On the flip side, not a single representative from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) received an invitation.

Muzzled MPs and secret intimidation

Of course, courting ruling lawmakers required practically no persuasion anyway. PNC lawmakers find themselves tightly handcuffed by Article 73 (b) of the Constitution, a legal chokehold that completely strips them of the ability to break rank, voice objections or even ask basic questions regarding President Muizzu’s executive decisions.

The lone bloc inside the People's Majlis with the potential to push back in the open was the MDP. They initially attempted to mount some resistance, expressing their vocal disapproval. But that pushback was abruptly cut down by heavy-handed warnings, specifically a threat that defying the project could cost them their parliamentary seats outright.

An opposition leadership chanting the same mantra 

To make matters worse, the highest echelons of the opposition party appear to be in complete alignment with the ruling regime. Former President Mohamed Nasheed went as far as declaring his full, unconditional backing for the venture without holding back a shred of hesitation.

Beyond that grand banquet over on Feydhoo Finolhu, whispers suggest Alabbar retreated into private rooms with specific business moguls, cabinet ministers, corporate chiefs, and media figures. In some of these closed-door talks with commercial leaders, questions allegedly cropped up concerning what financial payout the Maldivian state was receiving in exchange for the USD 20 billion Waterfront and Marina development slated for Ras Malé.

Mysterious handouts and the legend of ‘Brother Abdulla’

Because these backroom discussions were wrapped in strict secrecy, the exact proceedings remain impossible to officially verify. However, the gossip soon began echoing with the name of a character designated as a dear friend and brother named Abdulla.

Right at that point, murmurs erupted alleging that Alabbar had handed over a fortune in cash to this very individual. Whether these claims are entirely accurate or not, one outcome is guaranteed: if such funds did change hands, this favored associate will fight tooth and nail to defend the venture from any critical pushback.

Bought-and-paid-for media on luxury trips

Journalists were another privileged contingent treated to lavish attention and deep pockets during the tycoon's stay. Certain reporters were flown out to the United Arab Emirates to sample its world of immense wealth and opulence. The resounding triumph of this charm blitz was made painfully obvious by the glowing stories and polished video documentaries these media figures churned out soon after their return.

Pulpits silenced and the surrender of national ground

Perhaps the most startling twist of all came from the religious establishment. The stance adopted by Jamiyyath Salaf, whose ranks boast several clerics holding prominent government roles, was extraordinarily jarring.

The official pronouncement they released completely betrayed their long-standing track record of championing religious values and sovereign integrity. Going a step further, they explicitly disassociated themselves from the scholar union that had the backbone to challenge the venture.

Meanwhile, the Adhaalath Party, another group branded as a religious political apparatus, sits idle, claiming to be endlessly studying the situation.

Ultimately, handing over reclaimed land to foreign control under figures with such controversial ties is utterly unprecedented. Those who once built their reputations by shouting from the rooftops about national pride and foreign encroachment have swallowed their tongues.

It seems Eagle Hills simply flooded the Ras Malé scheme with piles of greenbacks, very neatly buying the complete silence of everyone who was supposed to raise the alarm.