The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, on Friday inaugurated the Shaheed Umar Ahmed Islamic Centre, a major new institution in Dhidhdhoo, Haa Alifu Atoll. The opening, timed to coincide with Friday prayer, commemorates Shaheed Umar Ahmed, a native of the island who was martyred on 3 November 1988 while serving at the Islamic Centre in Malé during a mercenary assault on the Maldivian capital.
Constructed by Rasheed Carpentry and Construction Pvt. Ltd. with government investment of USD 3.24 million, the mosque accommodates 1,500 worshippers. The expansion is regarded as critical in addressing a persistent shortage of prayer space, as only three of Dhidhdhoo’s six mosques had previously been able to host congregations of sufficient size for Friday prayers.
The centre has been conceived as more than a mosque, incorporating an Islamic library and an outreach office affiliated with the National Centre for the Holy Quran. Academic facilities include five classrooms for 30 students each, two seminar rooms, office space, and a multi-purpose hall with capacity for 450 people. Situated on reclaimed land where new residents are settling, the centre is intended to ease the wider issue of mosque capacity while offering substantial relief to the inhabitants of this expanding neighbourhood.