Changed the law to allow Saudi Royal family's descendants to inherit an area of Faafu: MP Nihan

Foreign land ownership bill was amended to allow descendants of the Saudi Royal family to inherit an area in Faafu Atoll, says the Parliamentary Group leader of the ruling PPM (Progressive Party of Maldives), Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik in a leaked audio clip.

The amendment to the foreign ownership bill, allowing land ownership for foreigners who make investments exceeding USD one billion in the Maldives, was passed in July 2015.

In the clip acquired by RaajjeMV, the Villimale MP talks from when and how the deal was made, to how they deceived the public.

He talks about how the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud "wanted some islands and lagoons in Faafu Atoll as inheritance to the royal family’s descendants."

Mohammad bin Salman became the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, after his father ascended to the throne in 2015. He also holds the position of defence minister.

Nihan on the Crown Prince's interest in Faafu Atoll

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman

In the audio clip, the Parliamentarian is heard saying that “this is basically something that started with [in] December 2012,” when the Crown Prince holidayed in One and Only Reethi Rah Resort.

Nihan said that during his trip, Prince Mohammad had hired an air taxi and took an aerial view of the country, and saw an island “of no use to the Maldivian people.”

According to Nihan, the reason for Crown Prince’s interest in purchasing land in the country, is “because we are a Muslim country, and he feels like he can tolerate us.”

He said that due to the geographic location of Faafu Himithi, the uninhabited island that the Crown Prince showed interest in- is not be an area that local will have travel to, under any circumstance.

He said that Himithi was located on the very west side of Faafu Atoll, and that no travelers will go through the area, when traveling to the atolls above Faafu.

He said due to the location, Prince Mohammad decided to “develop the area”, but that he did not want to lease it for 99 years, as per law, but rather have it as an inheritance for his family.

“According to my intel, what happened was he [the Crown Prince] did not want to lease the island for 99 years as per Constitution, he knows he won’t be here for that long after making such a fine investment. A normal human’s mortality rate is believed to be 70, he will not be able to stay there for the 99 years, so he requested a way for him to pass on the island to his next of kin,” the MP is heard saying in the clip, confirming that the foreign land ownership bill was reformed for this purpose.

Nihan said this was what made them change the law, as they wanted “him [the Crown Prince] to own land.”

Changing the Constitution

Parliament floor. Photo: People's Majlis

MP Nihan is heard saying that under the amendment to the ownership bill, the island can be given for "even 500 years", and that they are sure it will stay with the royal family, but that the “public won’t understand.”

“I submitted the amendment [to the Constitution] after being convinced to do so by President Yameen, he convinced me that there was no need to do it in secret, to make sure the PPM PG got the due credit. So I submitted it, I knew people would criticize me for it, but at the end of the day, when it all works out, someone will thank me for daring to do such a thing,” Nihan said.

He further revealed that former President Mohammad Waheed- who assumed officer after the alleged coup in 2012- had "really wanted" to seal the deal with Prince Mohammad, adding that it was Waheed’s administration that decided to “give it [Faafu Himithi] to them in a rush.”

Noting that the Crown Prince- after paying the acquisition fee- had claimed that 99 years was not enough for him, and talked of cancelling the deal, Nihan emphasized that they would have had “to pay back the money." He added that despite the threat, Prince Mohammad had never lost interest in the island.

Nihan said that the Crown Prince had visited the Maldives with his father, King Salman after President Abdulla Yameen assumed office, but that the investment had been stalled at that time, due to the hiccup in the Constitution.

He also said that they “tried to penetrate [this] deal to the Special Economic Zone,” but that they had to bring the change to the Constitution for that one "planned open window” that would allow the Saudi royal family to inherit Himithi. Nihan added that the investment “would not cause any harm, even when we look at it in a religious view.”

The PPM PG leader also claimed that if the Saudi royal family had allowed it, they would have added their name to the amendment to the foreign land ownership.

On the Royal family's plans in Maldives

King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed

The Villimale MP said that the royal family will reclaim the lagoons, and give 30 percent of it to the Maldivian people, keeping 70 percent of the area for the family.

Noting that there is a 21-klometere long reef, Nihan said that he assumed that the investors will reclaim certain portions at their own expense, and give 30 percent to the Maldivian people, “allowing locals to invest near there.”

“Right next to it will be the holiday homes of the royal family, they will create their own patterns, it’s not something new, this happens everywhere,” said Nihan.

In the leaked audio clip, Nihan says that the project will bring in USD 16 billion, six billion more than President Yameen had revealed earlier this year.

He is also heard saying that following the deal, the Saudi Princes "will travel to Maldives in their jets, and by the time they leave, all the waiters and others will have a year’s worth of income."