A significant restructuring of the government’s administrative framework has consolidated ministries, reassigned institutional oversight, and introduced a dedicated portfolio for climate-related governance.
The changes were formalised through Directive No. 7/2026 issued by the President’s Office. The restructuring reduces the number of standalone ministries while redistributing responsibilities across a reconfigured set of portfolios. A new Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy has been established, bringing together key regulatory and environmental agencies under a single authority.
Several ministries have been dissolved as part of the overhaul. These include the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare. Their functions have been absorbed into other ministries through a series of renaming and mandate expansions.
A number of ministries have also been renamed to reflect broader or revised responsibilities. The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has been retitled as the Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology, while the Ministry of Finance and Planning is now the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises. The Ministry of Education has been expanded to include higher education and skills development, and the Ministry of Health now incorporates family and welfare functions.
Similarly, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade now includes transport within its remit, and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment has been reconstituted as the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Other changes include the addition of endowments to the Islamic Affairs portfolio, the merging of youth empowerment with sports and fitness, and the consolidation of cultural institutions under a newly named Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage. Infrastructure-related functions have also been reorganised under the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, while fisheries has been combined with agriculture and ocean resources.
The directive also outlines a series of changes to the oversight of state agencies. The National Careers Service has been transferred to the Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology, while education and skills institutions such as the Maldives Qualifications Authority, the Maldives National Skills Development Authority, and the Maldives Polytechnic now fall under the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development.
Social protection and welfare services, including the National Social Protection Agency and various care centres, have been moved to the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare. The Maldives Transportation Safety Board has been reassigned to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, aligning transport safety oversight with the revised aviation-focused portfolio.
Cultural and heritage institutions, including the National Library, National Archives, and the National Centre for the Arts, have been consolidated under the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage. Environmental and regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Utility Regulatory Authority, the Maldives Meteorological Service, and the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve Office have been brought under the newly established Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy.
The restructuring reflects a broader administrative shift aimed at consolidating functions and redefining ministerial mandates across key sectors.
