Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, has announced that a group of foreign Qaris is set to arrive in the Maldives on Thursday, as part of efforts to address the shortage of Quran teachers in six islands.

In a message to the media, Minister Dr Shaheem stated that the Qaris will be assigned to branches of the Quran Centre on these islands, where they will teach Quran and lead Hifz Quran classes at local mosques.

The programme will be overseen by local councils, while the Quran Centre will be responsible for managing the teachers' salaries, which will be funded through the Zakat Fund.

The Minister emphasised that this initiative will continue until a permanent solution is found, with the goal of training local Quran teachers in these islands. Additionally, the Minister stated that he intends to resolve the shortage of Quran teachers across all islands during his tenure.

Highlighting that the expansion of voluntary Quran teaching is a key promise in President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s manifesto, Minister Dr Shaheem noted that foreign Qaris have previously been brought in to lead Taraweeh prayers in major mosques across the country.

He also expressed optimism about the success of ongoing efforts to produce more Hafiz in the Maldives, stating that many young Hafiz are emerging from the Islamic Ministry’s 500 Hafiz Project, a programme designed to strengthen Quran memorisation nationwide.