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Maldives - Head of Government

HE Mr Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President

HE Mr Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is serving his sixth term in office as President of the Republic of Maldives following his re-election in October 2003. He was sworn into office on 11 November that year. Mr Gayoom was first elected as President in November 1978.

He was Minister of Transport from 1977 to 1978. Mr Gayoom previously served as Maldives’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as Deputy Ambassador of Maldives to Sri Lanka, and was appointed Special Under-Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister in 1974.

From 1971 to 1974, Mr Gayoom was Director of the Telephone Department and Manager of the Shipping Department.

He lectured at the Abdullahi Bayero College at the Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria from 1969 to 1971.

Mr Gayoom has an MA in Islamic studies from the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.

He was born on 29 December 1937 in Malé.