The newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Maldives, Yahya Hassan Alhqahtani, presented his Letter of Credence to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Friday morning at a ceremony held at the President's Office.

The Ambassador was formally escorted from Republic Square to the President’s Office in a traditional “Haiykolhu” cultural procession, accompanied by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Drum and Trumpet Band.

Following the official ceremony, President Dr Muizzu and Ambassador Alhqahtani engaged in discussions on strengthening the longstanding ties between the two nations. The President expressed sincere appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s continued support for the Maldives, particularly acknowledging the close and brotherly relations maintained by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, and the people of Saudi Arabia.

President Dr Muizzu also extended gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s inclusion of the Maldives in the Makkah Route Initiative. He commended the quality of services offered under the programme and welcomed ongoing efforts to improve the experience for Maldivian pilgrims.

Ambassador Alhqahtani thanked the President and the Maldivian Government for the warm welcome and expressed his commitment to deepening cooperation and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia were officially established on March 17, 1981.