Mohamed Muizzu (Dhivehi: މުޙައްމަދު މުޢިއްޒު; born 15 June 1978) is a Maldivian politician who is the 8th president of the Maldives, serving since 2023. He served as housing minister from 2012 to 2018, making him the longest-serving housing minister in Maldivian history. He was mayor of Malé from 2021 to 2023. Muizzu is the leader of the People's National Congress since 2023. Born in Malé, Muizzu studied civil engineering in the United Kingdom, completing his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of London and later earning a PhD at the University of Leeds in 2009. President Waheed appointed Muizzu as the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure in 2012 and remained in the position under president Yameen, until 2018. As minister, Muizzu oversaw several major infrastructure projects. In 2021, he was elected the mayor of Malé, serving until his resignation to assume presidency in 2023. Muizzu led the Progressive–Congress coalition until the Progressive Party of Maldives was dissolved in 2025, and he has continued to serve as president of the Congress party. Muizzu was nominated as the People's National Congress's 2023 presidential candidate following the imprisonment of former president Abdulla Yameen on corruption charges. The People's National Congress, part of the Progressive–Congress coalition alongside the Progressive Party of Maldives, had originally planned for Yameen to contest the 2023 Maldivian presidential election, but with him ineligible, the party endorsed Muizzu as their candidate. Muizzu defeated the incumbent president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, receiving the second-highest number of votes for a presidential candidate in Maldivian history. During his presidency, Muizzu made foreign policy moves, including the expulsion of Indian troops from the Maldives and actions regarding the maritime boundary dispute, seeking to recover the Maldivian maritime area lost to Mauritius following the ruling by the ITLOS. In June 2024, he imposed a ban on Israeli passports following the Gaza war. Deportations of illegal foreigners have been conducted under the Muizzu government. The world's first generational ban on tobacco use was introduced in the Maldives for those born after 2007. Muizzu was named in TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in health in 2026.
Early life Mohamed Muizzu was born on 15 June 1978 in Maafannu, Malé, Maldives. He was born to Hussain Abdul Rahman and Husna Adam Ismail Manik. Muizzu's father (1942–2015) was an attorney, lawyer and an Islamic scholar, from Haa Alif Atoll Vashafaru. Rahman received the National Award of Honour from then—president Waheed for "contribution in the area of religious awareness and religious education" in 2013. Muizzu's parents separated shortly after his birth, and he was raised by his paternal grandmother until he relocated to live with his mother to attend primary school. He later returned to live with his father. His sister, Fathimath Saudha, ran as a candidate for the People's National Congress in the 2024 Maldivian parliamentary election for the Nilandhoo constituency and won the election held on 21 April 2024. At the age of 20, he began working for the government in 1998, as a Construction and Public Works Planning Technician Trainee at the Ministry of Construction and Public Works, under the tutelage of Umar Zahir. In the 1990s, Hussain Abdul Rahman, Muizzu's father, established a daily rental hotel business. Rahman died in 2015, and the business was handed over to Muizzu, and the property became his presidential residence while the official residence, Muliaage, was undergoing renovation.
Education Muizzu went to Iskandhar School and was educated there from Lower kindergarten to Grade four. He then transferred to Majeediyya School, the oldest school in the Maldives, where he studied from grade 5 to 10. In January 1995, he completed his GCE O'Level exams, achieving first place at the national level. He also attended the Science Education Centre for his Grade 11 and Grade 12 studies, where he completed his GCE A'Level exams in July 1997, securing fourth place nationally. In 2005 he obtained an Overseas Research Scholarship from the British government to study PhD in civil engineering at the University of Leeds. His PhD thesis concerned "Thermal and time-dependent effects on monolithic reinforced concrete roof slab-wall joints" and was awarded in 2009. He has also obtained the Project Management Professional (PMP) and PRINCE2 Practitioner Certification 2019.
Political career
Minister of Housing
In 2012, Muizzu assumed the role of Minister of Housing and Environment during the administration of President Waheed as a member of the Adhaalath Party. He continued in this post after the 2013 Presidential Election under President Abdulla Yameen's administration. By this time Muizzu was a member of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), part of a coalition government. The Ministry of Housing and Environment was later restructured and renamed as the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure during his five-year term in office. From February 2012 to November 2018, Muizzu held the position of Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, a tenure marked by significant achievements in the execution of housing projects in the Maldives. During this period, the country witnessed the rise of its tallest buildings and the realization of major infrastructure undertakings, including extensive roadworks and land reclamation efforts. Among the prominent projects completed under his guidance were the Sinamalé Bridge, Dharumavantha Hospital, Hiya Flats, Hahdhunmathi main road, Malé Ring Road, Malé Industrial Village, and the reclamation of Hulhumalé Phase II. Moreover, the development of numerous parks and public areas under his direction brought about a substantial transformation of Malé City. Muizzu also facilitated the successful completion of various land reclamation, harbour enhancement, and water and sewerage projects throughout the atolls, contributing to the comprehensive development of the Maldives' infrastructure.
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