Parliament Approves Thoriq Ibrahim as Maldives’ IRENA Representative
- Parliament unanimously approved Thoriq Ibrahim as the Maldives' Permanent Representative to IRENA following a favourable committee recommendation.
- Thoriq, a former Environment Minister and current Ambassador to the UAE, succeeds Mohamed Hussain Shareef in the role.
- The appointment strengthens the Maldives' engagement with IRENA as it pursues its renewable energy transition and reduces fuel dependence.
Parliament has approved Thoriq Ibrahim’s appointment as the Maldives’ Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency, placing the country’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in a role linked to global renewable energy policy and cooperation.
Members present voted unanimously to endorse the nomination after the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee completed its review and issued a favourable recommendation. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu submitted the nomination in line with constitutional and Foreign Service Act requirements for appointments to international organisations.
Thoriq, who previously served as Minister of Environment under the current administration, is now the Maldives’ Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. IRENA is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, making the assignment a natural extension of his existing diplomatic posting.
He succeeds Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the former Ambassador to the UAE, who had held the IRENA representative role.
Established in 2009, IRENA supports countries in developing renewable energy policies, accessing technical knowledge and advancing investment in technologies such as solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy and ocean energy. The Maldives joined the agency in its founding year.
IRENA now has 171 members, comprising 170 countries and the European Union. Its work is particularly relevant to small island states seeking to reduce dependence on imported fuel, improve energy security and lower electricity generation costs.
IRENA has previously worked with the Maldives on a renewable energy roadmap that identified solar deployment, island interconnection, private-sector participation and improved energy data as areas that could support a larger share of renewable power. The new appointment gives the Maldives a formal channel to engage with the agency as it continues to pursue its energy transition.
