President Dr Mohamed Waheed has conferred the Most Honourable Order of Distinguished Rule of Izzudheen, Nishaan Izzuddeen Izzathuge Verikan, on late Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla. The award was presented to the wife of late Dr Samad, Ms Ameena Ali, during a visit to their home this morning.
Meeting the family of late Dr Samad, the President underlined that the Most Honourable Order of Distinguished Rule of Izzudheen was being conferred in recognition of Dr Abdul Samad Abdullah’s sincere services to the nation and the people, and especially to the development of the health sector of the country. He noted that during the time when Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla assumed office as the Foreign Minister, the Maldives was in great domestic turmoil and faced many outside challenges. However, the President stated, through diligent efforts of the Foreign Minister, the Maldives was able to overcome all those challenges.
Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla was a distinguished international public servant with an illustrious career at the WHO. Intensifying through the ranks of the Organisation, Dr Samad most recently served as the Coordinator of Communicable Disease Control at the Regional Office in New Delhi. Prior to joining the WHO he served in many posts at the Health Ministry, the last of which was the Director General of Health Services.
In 2008, Dr Samad Abdullah joined the Maldives Foreign Service and served as the first High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Dr Samad was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs on 5th March 2012.