Maldives Keen To Tap Malaysia's Halal Expertise To Boost Islamic Tourism

By Nur Atiq Maisarah Suhaimi

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (NNN) -- The Maldives is keen to tap Malaysia's expertise in halal industry development to establish Muslim-friendly hospitality standards, as the island nation seeks to expand its Islamic tourism sector.

Maldivian High Commissioner to Malaysia Dr Mariyam Shabeena Ahmed said Malaysia's comprehensive halal framework could serve as a model for the Maldives, which is developing its own hospitality standards.

She said both countries could strengthen cooperation in hospitality training, knowledge sharing, and technical capacity-building, including marine research.

“We can learn a lot from Malaysia. Vice versa, we can also do collaborative work in terms of training, sharing knowledge, strengthening the technical capacity in terms of hospitality training and marine research,” she said.

Speaking on Bernama TV's Bernama World programme titled "The Maldives: The Continuing Push for Islamic Tourism" on Wednesday, Mariyam said a tourism cooperation memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed during Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's visit to Malaysia in 2025 had identified Muslim-friendly tourism, ecotourism, and community-based tourism as three areas of cooperation.

She said Islamic tourism was not a new concept for the Maldives, as it had long been embedded in the country's culture and hospitality.

President Muizzu announced in 2025 plans to designate certain Maldivian islands for Islamic or halal tourism, in line with the country's Fifth Tourism Master Plan, she said.

The initiative would complement the Maldives' existing luxury tourism offerings by catering to Muslim travellers without compromising their holiday experience, she added.

“We are just adding on the Muslim-friendly component into it so that Muslim travellers do not have to compromise their quality, luxury travel, or holiday with their religious beliefs,” she said.

Mariyam said the Maldives, which began developing its tourism industry in 1972, expanded into local island tourism in 2009, allowing communities to offer guesthouses, excursions, and holiday packages.

She said the Maldives is moving towards formal halal certification to meet growing demand from Muslim travellers, although halal practices have already been widely observed across its local island communities.

Mariyam also invited Malaysians to visit the Maldives during Visit Maldives Year in 2027, highlighting the country's Islamic heritage, culture, and architecture alongside its luxury tourism offerings.

--NNN