The government has officially opened the outreach centre of the National Centre for the Holy Quran in Fuvahmulah City.
The facility was inaugurated by the State Minister at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Abdulla Saudhan, during a ceremony attended by members of the Fuvahmulah City Council, heads of local institutions and residents.
The new outreach centre includes five classrooms, a prayer room, a Hifz assessment room, an auditorium, a library, office space and a meeting room.
In a post on X, the Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, said Quran memorisation classes would be expanded in Fuvahmulah and that additional teachers would be recruited to support the programme.
He also said the design concept for the Islamic Centre planned for Fuvahmulah City has been finalised and submitted to the Fuvahmulah City Council for comments.
According to the minister, the Islamic Centre will become the permanent home of the National Centre for the Holy Quran in the city once construction is completed. The newly opened outreach centre will then be converted into a Waqf property, with rental income used to support the development of religious affairs in Fuvahmulah.
Minister Shaheem said the government's vision is to expand Quranic education across the Maldives, increase the number of Hafiz, develop more Waqf projects and strengthen religious affairs nationwide.
The outreach centre was developed by the government at a cost of over USD 778,000.
The ground floor of the building houses an auditorium, library and meeting room, while the upper floor includes four classrooms and a prayer area with capacity for 30 worshippers at a time.
The government has previously announced plans to establish a branch of the National Centre for the Holy Quran on every inhabited island before the end of the current administration as part of its efforts to promote Islamic values and preserve religious knowledge for future generations.