President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed have attended the cultural festivities in celebration of 54th anniversary of Independence of Maldives. Vice President Faisal Naseem and his Spouse Aishath Shamsada were also in attendance at the festivities held at the National Stadium.
Upon arrival, the president and first lady were cordially received by Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla and greeted with a presidential salute by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). The presidential salute was followed by the national anthem, performed by a combined ensemble orchestra comprising of members from different school bands and MNDF.
The armed forces guard and a collective squad from the schools then trooped past the presidential stand and venerated the president with another presidential salute. The Independence Day celebrations included cultural and musical performances by several schools and MNDF.