On the sidelines of the Maldives Digital Summit 2026, the World Bank Mission consisting of Ms. Vyjayanti Desai, Practice Manager for Digital and AI, South Asia Region, World Bank, and Task Team Leader Ms. Anna Metz (Sr Digital Development Specialist), Co-Task Team Leader Ms. Minita Mary Varghese (Digital Development Specialist) paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology, Mr. Ali Ihusaan. The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Homeland Security and Technology, Dr. Mohamed Kinaanath, and Mr. Ibrahim Rishad (Operations Officer) of the World Bank Country office.

Discussions during the meeting focused on several key areas. The introduction of the Data Protection Bill to Parliament was highlighted as critical to the project, including as a disbursement condition, with the Minister assuring that the bill will be submitted in the near term. The meeting also covered the potential investment in the Maldives Data Exchange (MDX) through project resources, including funds allocated for the Climate Data Sharing Platform, with agreement to proceed with an open and competitive procurement approach. In addition, both parties emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration between the Government of Maldives and the World Bank to further advance the country’s digital transformation agenda.