Her Excellency Mariya Didi | |
---|---|
މާރިޔާ ދީދީ | |
Minister of Defence of Maldives | |
In office 17 November 2018 – 17 November 2023[1] | |
President | Ibrahim Mohamed Solih |
Preceded by | Adam Shareef |
Succeeded by | Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon |
Personal details | |
Born | August 18, 1962 |
Nationality | Maldivian |
Political party | Maldivian Democratic Party |
Children | 1 daughter, 2 sons |
Mariya Didi (Maldivian:މާރިޔާ ދީދީ; born August 18, 1962) is a Maldivian barrister and politician who served as the Minister of Defense of the Maldives.[2] After being the campaign manager[3] for president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during the 2018 elections, she was appointed the nation's first-ever female Minister of Defence.[2]
Mariya Didi, in her capacity as Minister of Defence, oversees a total of 8 critical institutions, namely Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC),[4] National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),[5] Maldives Customs Service,[6] Maldives Immigration,[7] Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM),[8] Anti-Trafficking in Persons (Anti-TIP),[9] and Maldives Hydrographic Service.[10]
Mariya Didi instituted the tradition of engaging regularly with the MNDF leadership and defence sector agencies through weekly plenary meetings and multi-agency sit-downs, where the latest information and updates are exchanged in cross-sector settings.