Legal counsel and former Kendhoo MP Ali Hussain has submitted a formal request for the Supreme Court to review the registrar’s decision rejecting his constitutional challenge against the Ras Malé land agreement.
Writing on X, Hussain confirmed the filing, stating that a case had been submitted requesting a review of the registrar’s decision regarding the Rasmalé matter.
The original petition sought a judicial injunction to invalidate the commercial terms agreement signed on 21 September 2026 between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and UAE-based developer Eagle Hills. The agreement grants the developer 500 hectares of reclaimed land in Ras Malé under a 99-year leasehold.
Hussain argues the deal is void ab initio, contending that allocating land without lease acquisition fees or rent violates Article 250 of the Constitution. He also maintains that successive third-party leaseholds breach Article 251 on foreign ownership limits.
The Supreme Court registrar dismissed the petition on jurisdictional grounds, ruling it did not meet the threshold for direct submission as a court of first instance under the Judicature Act.
Government officials have defended the project’s legality, stating that full ownership of the underlying land remains with the state while Eagle Hills holds rights over above-ground developments.
The review request continues legal and public debate over the large-scale development.
