Maldives: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) June 25

Event

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on May 27, will come to an end at sundown on Sunday, June 25. During this time, operations in the Maldives may come to a virtual standstill as Muslims gather to pray and celebrate with family and friends. While practices vary by area, Eid al-Fitr celebrations are likely to have an impact on many businesses, stock exchanges, and services (including administrative services) that will close or significantly reduce their hours of operation on Sunday evening and potentially into Monday. As this period is typically marked by increased travel, heavy road traffic after sundown along with other transportation disruptions (crowded airports, etc.) is to be anticipated.

Context

Eid al-Fitr celebrates the conclusion of 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting and remains one of the most important dates on the Muslim calendar. Generally speaking, the month of Ramadan is historically marred by a significant increase in terrorist threats and as such there is a potential for attacks to be carried out during Eid celebrations.

Nearly 100 percent of the Maldivian population is Muslim.

Political tension in the Maldives has intensified since the 2012 coup that ousted the country’s first democratically elected president Mohamed Nasheed, and spiked again in March 2017 after an attempt by the opposition to impeach the country’s parliamentary speaker. Concern over the threat of domestic radicalization has also risen in the past decade, with at least 50 Maldivians estimated to have left to fight with Islamist terrorist groups in the region.

Advice

Individuals in the Maldives are advised not to eat, drink, or smoke in public by day during this period. Travelers are also advised to allow additional time for travel and to avoid any form of public demonstration or public gathering.