Public Holidays in Maldives for 2019
The Maldives is officially called the Republic of the Maldives, which is an island in the Indian Ocean-Arabian Sea. The prominent religion in Maldives is Islam. It is the president of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who declares the holidays in Maldives.
Maldives has 24 national holidays in total. You will read about the holidays in Maldives here, and what employers should know about them. Holidays are supposed to be a day of rest, especially for those who are working every day.
If you are planning to visit the Maldives, it is best to go on their important holidays to witness something special. In case you are an investor and plan to open a business in Maldives, you will find out that it is a viable option because it is one of the most visited countries in the world. With its breathtaking beaches and beautiful scenery, it can be easy to see why tourists love to visit Maldives.
What Employers Should Know About Maldives Public Holiday
A lot of the holidays that are celebrated in Maldives are based on the lunar cycles. These are calculated according to the Umm al-Qura calendar. It is normal for the President to consider several holidays in the entire year as several days of celebrations.
In Maldives, weekends are Friday and Saturday. Friday is considered as a non-working holiday. If the holiday is either Friday or Saturday, it will move to Thursday before that or the following Sunday to extend the celebration.
Dates of the Maldives Public Holiday 2019
| Date | Which Day/s | Holiday | Type |
| 1 January | Tuesday | New Year’s Day | Public |
| 7 February | Thursday | Presidential Address Day | Public |
| 21 March | Thursday | March Equinox | Season |
| April 7 | Sunday | Election Day Holiday | Public |
| 1 May | Wednesday | Labor Day | Public |
| 5 May | Sunday | First of Ramadan | Public |
| 4 – 6 June | Tuesday | Eid-ul Fithr | Public |
| 21 June | Friday | June Solstice | Season |
| 26 July | Friday | Independence Day | Public |
| 10 August | Saturday | Hajj Day | Public |
| 11 August | Sunday | Eid ul Adha | Public |
| 12 – 14 August | Monday | Eid ul Adha Holiday | Bank Holiday |
| 31 August | Saturday | Islamic New Year | Public |
| 23 September | Monday | September Equinox | Season |
| 29 October | Tuesday | National Holiday | Public |
| 3 November | Sunday | Victory Day | Public |
| 10 November | Sunday | Mawlid al-Nabi | Public |
| 11 November | Monday | Republic Day | Public |
| 29 November | Friday | The Day Maldives Embraced Islam | Public |
| 22 December | Sunday | December Solstice | Season |
| 31 December | Tuesday | New Year’s Eve | Observance |
Employee Benefits if They Work on a Holiday
When you are planning your benefits plan for employees, you must include statutory benefits. There are currently 11 public holidays in Maldives, and employees must receive paid day-offs. If they are already working in your company for one year, employees must be given 30 days paid annual leave.
Female workers must take 60 days of paid maternity leave on the off chance that they give a clinical declaration from an authorized professional on the due date anticipated.
If an employee is asked to work on a holiday or Friday, they must be paid an additional 1 ½ of their hourly rate. If work they did on Friday or national holiday is overtime work, they must also be given premium pay.
Doing Business in Maldives
Since Maldives almost imports everything, there is a high potential for business in here. Businesses normally happen in the morning. The largest industry in Maldives takes up 23% of the GDP, and 90% of the government’s tax revenues come from importation and tourism-related taxes. If you are planning to set up a business in Maldives, here are some ideas:
Accounting Firm
If you specialize in accounting or finance, it is great to start this kind of business. You can do this at different levels depending on how much work you want. You can be a bookkeeper for a small business aside from doing complicated tasks.
Wedding Planning
If you want to be a wedding planner, you must know all about the latest wedding trends, including cards, dresses, venues, decorations, catering, and more.
Since you already know why setting up a business in Maldives is an excellent idea, you can ask the help of 3E Accounting.
