President Mohamed Muizzu has appointed Aishath Azeema as the Maldives High Commissioner to India and Ahmed Sareer as the Maldives Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, following parliamentary confirmations.
Azeema received confirmation on Monday, with 79 members voting in favour. She replaces Ibrahim Shaheeb as the Maldives’ envoy to India. Having been in the Maldives foreign service since 1988, Azeema has served in various high-level diplomatic positions, including Ambassador to China (2019-2023), Deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and senior roles within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Parliament confirmed Sareer’s nomination on Tuesday, with 86 members voting in favour. Until his appointment, he served as Ambassador at Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sareer has an extensive diplomatic background, having served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations from 2012 to 2017 and as Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States from 2015 to 2017. He has also held the positions of Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to the United States.
Sareer’s appointment as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia follows the conclusion of the previous ambassador’s term.