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Fayyaz Ismail

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Fayyaz Ismail
ފައްޔާޒު އިސްމާއިލް
Official portrait, 2018
Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party
In office
23 May 2022 – 23 November 2025
Preceded byHassan Latheef
Minister of Economic Development
In office
17 November 2018 – 17 November 2023
PresidentIbrahim Mohamed Solih
Preceded byMohamed Saeed
Succeeded byMohamed Saeed
Member of the People's Majlis
In office
28 May 2014 – 17 November 2018
PresidentAbdulla Yameen
Succeeded byMohamed Visam
ConstituencyGan
Personal details
PartyMaldivian Democratic Party (2003–2008; 2011–present)
Other political
affiliations
Social Liberal Party (2008–2011)
Children2
ParentIsmail Naseer
EducationMiddlesex University
Signature

Fayyaz Ismail (Dhivehi: ފައްޔާޒު އިސްމާއިލް) is a Maldivian politician and lawyer who served as the Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party from 2022 to 2025. He previously served as the Minister of Economic Development in the cabinet of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih from 2018 to 2023, and was the Member of the 18th People's Majlis for the L. Gan constituency prior to his appointment.

Education

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Ismail holds a Bachelor of Laws from Middlesex University.[1]

Career

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Early career

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In 2009, Ismail served as a non-executive director of Dhiraagu. He also sat on the employment advisory board of the Ministry of Human Resources.[2] He was a managing partner at Aequitas Legal Consultants.[2]

Political career

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Ismail was a member of the Social Liberal Party from 2008, until he joined the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in 2011.[3]

Member of the 18th People's Majlis (2014–2018)

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Ismail was elected to the 18th People's Majlis as the representative for the L. Gan constituency following a victory over incumbent Yoosuf Abdul Ghafoor during the 2014 parliamentary election.[4]

In 2015, Ismail was arrested and detained, alongside MDP Vice President Mohamed Shifaz, National Council Member and former MP Ilyas Labeeb and 23 others at the 2015 May Day protests calling for the release of opposition MDP's president Mohamed Nasheed, who had been convicted of terrorism in the midst of a crackdown on political opposition and dissent by President Abdulla Yameen.[5][6][7]

Minister of Economic Development (2018–2023)

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After Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was sworn in as the president of the Maldives, Ismail was appointed as the Minister of Economic Development on 17 November 2018.[8][9]

Among the policies enacted during his tenure, Ismail was responsible for the formation of a minimum wage board,[10][11] through which the Maldives' first minimum wage was established on 8 November 2021, and instituted at the start of 2022.[12][13] Despite being a landmark bill for labour rights in the Maldives, the policy has been criticized for excluding migrant workers, who remain among the most vulnerable populations in the Maldives.[14]

Ismail also oversaw development of the Industrial Relations and Occupational Health and Safety bills passed in 2023, codifying the right to take industrial action, freedom to form trade unions, and protections for freedom of speech, as well as setting guidelines for establishing workplace safety, and mechanisms for compensating injured workers.[15]

He has also been credited with the largest scale regularization and repatriation of undocumented foreign workers, with more than 40,000 undocumented laborers registering with the Maldivian government in 2020.[16]

However, Imsail has come under criticism with regard to the ballooning foreign debt of the Maldives, caused in considerable part due to external shocks such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and the COVID-19 pandemic.[17][18]

Interim Minister of Tourism (2020)

Ali Waheed was dismissed as the Minister of Tourism in President Solih's cabinet following allegations of sexual harassment and assault from employees in the tourism ministry.[19][20] Ismail was appointed as the interim Minister of Tourism on 10 July 2020.[21] Ismail was succeeded by Abdulla Mausoom.[22]

Interim term as Minister of Communications (2021):

Ismail served as the interim Minister of Communications, Science and Technology in March 2021 after the People's Majlis (parliament) passed a no confidence vote against incumbent Minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamal.[23] The Ministry was later dissolved in May with functions being transferred to the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy.[24]

Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party

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On 23 May 2022, Ismail was elected as the Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party.[25] He was elected following a landslide victory.[26]

In 2025, Ismail resigned as the chairperson of the party. In his resignation letter, Ismail noted that he resigned due to his interest to take part in the 2028 presidential election.[27]

References

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  1. ↑ "Fayyaz Ismail". World Bank. Archived from the original on 17 April 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Dhiraagu Initial Public Offering PROSPECTUS" (PDF). Dhiraagu. 29 September 2011. p. 36. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  3. ↑ Shan, Mohamed (9 May 2011). "އިބުރާ އެނބުރި އެމްޑީޕީއަށް" [Ibra back to MDP]. Haama Daily (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  4. ↑ "Parliamentary Election 2014 Statistics". Elections Commission. Archived from the original on 29 December 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2025. Go to the Results tab and search his name.
  5. ↑ "MDP Condemns Narrowing of Rights to Assembly, Targeted Arrests; Call for Release of all Political Detainees. – Maldivian Democratic Party". Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "MDP Condemns Narrowing of Rights to Assembly, Targeted Arrests; Call for Release of all Political Detainees". Maldivian Democratic Party. 7 March 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "Maldives: 13 year sentence for former president 'a travesty of justice'". Amnesty International. 13 March 2015. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "President appoints members to the Cabinet". The President's Office. 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 20 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Maldives' new cabinet sworn in". Avas. 17 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2 November 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Currently awaiting decision from the minimum wage board: Minister Fayyaz". Raajje TV. 22 July 2021. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Economic Minister asks to form minimum wage board". PSM News. 7 December 2018. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Establishment of Minimum Wage in the Maldives for the First Time". Ministry of Economic Development, Transport and Trade. 8 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Minister Fayyaz Ismail states that a minimum wage will be declared on Monday". Today. 25 October 2024. Archived from the original on 26 January 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Press Release – Stop delaying minimum wage for migrant workers, sign the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families (Eng)". Association for Democracy in the Maldives. 26 September 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Maldives: Parliament passes two landmark bills on labour rights". International Federation of Journalists. 21 December 2023. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Regularization Programme Status" (PDF). Ministry of Economic Development, Transport and Trade. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 October 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Shivamurthy, Aditya Gowdara (7 August 2024). "Understanding the Maldives' economic crisis: Causes and implications". Observer Research Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 March 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Maldives' national debt expected to hit MVR 123.4 bln by year's end". Avas. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "The man who knew (too much)". Maldives Financial Review. 22 July 2021. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "President Dismisses Tourism Minister Ali Waheed from Post". The President's Office. 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 9 April 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  21. ↑ Hadi, Ahmedulla Abdul (9 July 2020). "Economic Minister Fayyaz appointed as interim Tourism Minister". Sun. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "President Appoints Dr Abdulla Mausoom as Minister of Tourism". The President's Office. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 April 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  23. ↑ Rasheed, Aishath Hanaan Hussain (1 March 2021). "Economic Minister Fayaz appointed acting minister of Communications Ministry". Raajje TV. Archived from the original on 20 October 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology dissolved, functions transferred to Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology". The President's Office. 5 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 April 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "Fayyaz Ismail assumes office as MDP Chairperson". PSM News. 23 May 2022. Archived from the original on 25 October 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  26. ↑ Abdulla, Lamya (14 May 2022). "MDP Chairperson election: Landslide victory for Fayyaz". The Edition. Archived from the original on 12 September 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  27. ↑ "Fayyaz resigns as Chairperson of MDP". Adhadhu. 24 November 2025. Archived from the original on 30 April 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
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