Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
✓ Source-basedstable3rd President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008
He held the Maldives presidency for thirty uninterrupted years, a tenure that brought infrastructure and tourism growth while drawing the word "dictator" from critics who watched opposition voices suppressed and freedoms curtailed.
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Photos 8
In their own words 6
Yes, because that conceals their character. You don't know who you are talking to. Who you are dealing with. So, the face should be seen.
When asked by al jazeera journalist, Juliana Ruhfus (in an interview on 8 August 2007) that there is a law (in Maldives) that women are not
My main objective has been to raise the standard of living of the people, to achieve social and economic progress.
Interview with Adam Mynott, as quoted in "Freedom of expression guaranteed by constitution in Maldives, Gayyoom tells BBC" in Maldives
I think our human rights record is very good. ...
Interview with Adam Mynott, as quoted in "Freedom of expression guaranteed by constitution in Maldives, Gayyoom tells BBC" in Maldives
Awards 5
In their orbit 8
Connected to Maumoon 6
Danielle MitterrandAlso won Grand Order of Mugunghwa
Azlan Shah I of PerakAlso won Grand Order of Mugunghwa
Lester Russell BrownAlso won Global 500 Roll of Honour
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-TagleAlso won Grand Order of Mugunghwa
Andrés RodríguezAlso won Grand Order of Mugunghwa
Daphne SheldrickAlso won Global 500 Roll of HonourAbout this person
Born in Malé in 1937, Gayoom taught in Nigeria before returning home in 1971, where his criticism of President Nasir earned him house arrest, banishment to Makunudhoo, and a second jailing - only to be freed and pulled into government, rising to transport minister by 1977. When Nasir stepped aside, Gayoom won the 1978 referendum with nearly 93% and settled into three decades at the helm. His administration poured resources into roads, schools, hospitals, and the tourism sector that became the economy's engine, but political freedoms tightened and dissent met with force; a 1988 coup attempt hardened his security stance. The 2004 tsunami wiped out 62% of GDP and reshaped his final years, spurring reconstruction and tentative democratic reforms that led to the country's first multi-party vote in 2008. He lost to Mohamed Nasheed and stepped back, only to be arrested a decade later during the 2018 political crisis, charged with plotting to overthrow the government and jailed for obstruction before health concerns brought house arrest and an eventual acquittal that same year.
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