In a significant reshuffle of his administration, President Dr.  Muizzu announced changes to the Maldives cabinet on Thursday, including the merger of two key ministries.

The reshuffle reduces the number of government ministries from 22 to 21, as part of an effort to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

The Housing Ministry and Infrastructure Ministry have been consolidated into a single entity, now named the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Infrastructure, to be headed by Dr. Abdulla Muthalib.

Additionally, the Planning Department, previously under the Housing Ministry, has been transferred to the Finance Ministry, which has been renamed the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

Several other notable ministerial changes were also made:

- Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed was appointed as Minister of Higher Education, Labour, and Skills Development, moving from his previous role as Housing Minister.

- Dr. Mariyam Mariya was officially appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, a role she had been serving in an acting capacity following the resignation of Dr. Aishath Rameela due to health reasons.

- Moosa Zameer was reconfirmed as Minister of Finance and Planning.

Supreme Court Justice Ali Rasheed Hussain administered the oath of office to the newly appointed ministers during a ceremony at the President's Office.

In his remarks, President highlighted the importance of the coming year for Maldives' development, citing numerous projects planned for 2025.

He urged the newly appointed ministers to organize their ministries effectively, ensuring minimal disruption to staff as the changes take effect.

This marks the second major reshuffle since President Muizzu took office in November 2023.

His first reshuffle occurred on September 30, following the resignation of Dr. Mohamed Shafeeq as Finance Minister.

At that time, several key appointments were also made, including Moosa Zameer as Finance Minister, Dr. Abdulla Khaleel as Foreign Minister, and Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim as Health Minister.