President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has departed to Mecca, Saudi Arabia on an official visit to attend the 14th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held on 31st of May 2019.

The summit will gather together heads of states and governments of Muslim-majority countries to discuss some of the pressing issues confronting the global Muslim community, including the prevalence of Islamophobia, regional peace in the Middle East and the various issues and difficulties dealt with by Muslims worldwide.

The venue of this summit affords the Maldivian delegation the opportunity to positively engage with Saudi Arabia on bilateral relations and development cooperation.

During his visit to Mecca, President Solih will also perform Umrah rites before to the Maldives.

Since its inception in 1969, the OIC has aspired to speak as the collective voice of the Islamic Ummah. Currently it comprises of 57 member states representing over a billion people. Summits are held triennially in accordance with the OIC charter to discuss matters of importance to Muslims.