Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer Deletes Controversial Tweets Criticizing Saudi Arabia

Maldives Finance Minister Ameer has deleted his controversial tweets insulting the government and King of Saudi Arabia. Ameer had previously taken to Twitter to voice his scathing comments about the Saudi regime and its leadership, accusing them of spending millions of dollars to get Netanyahu elected and committing massacres in Yemen. He had also accused former Maldives President Yameen of attempting to sell the country to the Saudi king.

Ameer's past criticism of Saudi Arabia and its leadership has raised eyebrows, especially since he recently traveled to the kingdom with Chief of Staff Ali Zahir to secure financial support for the Maldives and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's 2023 campaign. However, Ameer faced questioning from MP Saeed of Maavashu constituency at the parliament upon his return to the Maldives. Saeed asked Ameer whether he had apologized to the Saudi government regarding those tweets and also noted that he is aware of the fact that the tweets had been deleted.

Ameer's deleted tweets have cast doubt on his current efforts to secure financial assistance from Saudi Arabia, and the controversy highlights the delicate balance that the Maldives must maintain in its foreign relations. The Maldives has traditionally had close ties with Saudi Arabia, with the kingdom providing financial assistance for various projects in the island nation.

It is worth noting that Ameer's Chief of Staff Ali Zahir, who was with him on the trip to Saudi Arabia, has also distanced himself from his religious identity since assuming the role. He has formally requested not to be addressed as "Sheikh Ali Zahir," a term used in the Maldives to refer to individuals with religious education.