President Dr Mohamed Muizzu conferred Presidential Medals and Prizes on 49 individuals at the Huffaz Graduation Ceremony held on Sunday night.

The ceremony marked the highest number of Huffaz graduates recorded in a single year, with 31 students graduating during the event. In addition to those honoured on the night, President Dr Muizzu also presented Presidential Medals and Prizes to 18 individuals who completed memorisation of the Holy Quran between September 2024 and March 2025.

This year’s ceremony was held as part of the Administration’s continued emphasis on strengthening religious affairs and promoting memorisation of the Holy Quran nationwide.

The Government has introduced several measures to encourage Quran memorisation, including doubling the monthly allowance provided to Huffaz from MVR 2,000 to MVR 4,000.

In addition, Quran memorisation programmes are being conducted nationwide to expand access and participation. Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed revealed at the ceremony that approximately 1,800 students are currently enrolled in these programmes.

With the latest graduates, the total number of Huffaz in the Maldives has reached 301. The Government has set a target of increasing the figure to 500 within the next five years.