The government has set phased deadlines to cancel existing foreign worker quotas in jobs it plans to reserve for Maldivians in the coming years, under new rules gazetted by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology.
The regulations outline occupations for which no new quotas will be issued and establish timelines for revoking existing quotas, ranging from two to five years, depending on the profession.
Under the new framework, certain occupations will no longer receive any quota allocations with immediate effect. These include hired road vehicle drivers, aircraft co-pilots, captains of seagoing vessels, photography and videography work, entertainment-related jobs and cashier positions in cafés and restaurants. While quotas will not be allocated for these roles, the ministry retains the authority to revise the list based on the availability of Maldivian workers in the labour market.
The regulations also introduce a staged cancellation of existing quotas. Within the next two years, quotas will be revoked for roles such as hairdressers, beauticians, babysitters, personal trainers, electricians, English-speaking guest relations officers, tour guides, accountants and imams. A further group of professions will see quotas cancelled within three years, including divers, nurses, building inspectors, surveyors, site supervisors, pilots and photographers.
Over a four-year period, quotas will be withdrawn for electrical engineers and dive instructors, while a five-year timeline applies to senior hospitality and education roles, including housekeeping managers, human resources managers, front office managers and primary and secondary school teachers.
The policy follows a cabinet decision taken on 24 December 2023 to begin reserving specific job categories for Maldivians. Despite existing regulations, many of these positions remain dominated by foreign workers, particularly in the tourism, beauty, education and construction sectors.
Tourism regulations already require resorts to employ at least 40 percent Maldivian staff, but successive governments have struggled to enforce the rule.