Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has announced that the number of Huffaz in the Maldives has reached 301, with a target to increase the figure to 500 within the next five years.

He made the remarks while speaking at the Huffaz Graduation Ceremony held on Sunday night.

Minister Dr Shaheem stated that achieving the highest ratio of Huffaz relative to population in the Islamic world is a key national objective.

Highlighting recent efforts to make this national objective a reality, the Minister noted that MVR 19 million was spent last year to support Quran memorisation programmes. He added that prizes for the National Quran Competition have been increased and allowances for students memorising the Quran have also been raised.

He further explained that Government policy includes establishing Quran centres on every inhabited island. As part of this initiative, 50 new branches are expected to be formed this year. Six branches have already been registered, while work is ongoing to register 34 more.

Minister Dr Shaheem said this year marks the highest number of new Huffaz graduating in the country’s history, with 31 students completing memorisation. He added that efforts will continue to increase this number annually.

Currently, around 1,800 students are memorising the Quran nationwide, with the majority studying at the National Centre for the Holy Quran.

The Minister also appealed to business leaders to support the development of Islamic centres and mosques, noting that the Government is prioritising infrastructure to strengthen Islamic education across the Maldives.