The Maldives International Financial Services Authority (MIFSA) has appointed Malaysian financial expert Datuk Iskandar Mohd Nuli as its Chief Executive Officer.
Datuk Iskandar brings over 30 years of experience in domestic and offshore financial services, particularly within regulatory and supervisory agencies. He began his career at Bank Negara Malaysia in 1990 and was a founding staff member of the Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA) in 1996.
He later held senior roles including Director, Senior Director, and ultimately Deputy Director General of Labuan FSA, where he oversaw key departments such as legal, supervision, policy, and human resources. From January 2020 to January 2025, he served as Executive Chairman of Labuan IBFC Inc. Sdn. Bhd.
Datuk Iskandar’s career includes major legislative achievements, such as drafting the Labuan Financial Services Authority Act 1996 and leading the review and modernization of Labuan IBFC’s legal framework between 2008 and 2010. He also formulated the first codified Islamic finance legislation in the offshore sector.
He has served on Malaysia’s National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC) and the National Coordinating Committee on Anti-Money Laundering (NCC). A qualified lawyer, Datuk Iskandar holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) from the International Islamic University, an MBA, and a Doctorate in Management. He is also a Certified Financial Investigator and a qualified Syariah lawyer in Sarawak.
MIFSA, the regulatory body overseeing the Maldives International Financial Centre (MIFC), said Datuk Iskandar’s appointment will be instrumental in realizing the government’s vision for a next-generation, sustainable financial hub.
Launched earlier this year as a joint venture between the Government of Maldives and MBS Global Investments, MIFC represents an ambitious USD8.8 billion initiative to diversify the economy beyond tourism and position Male' as a premier financial hub in the Indian Ocean.