The Maldives has made its decision: the doors are completely closed to Israeli passport holders

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has confirmed that holders of Israeli passports will be barred from entering the country under any circumstances, formalizing a travel ban announced earlier this year. The government said the decision is final and that it remains committed to enforcing it, closing the archipelago to Israeli travelers entirely. The move matters because the Maldives relies heavily on tourism, and Israel is a small but high-spending source market for its luxury resorts. It also carries diplomatic weight, as the Maldives has no formal ties with Israel and has been vocal on the Palestinian issue. What to watch next is whether other Muslim-majority destinations follow suit and how Maldivian resort operators, already navigating a softer Chinese and European demand picture, absorb the loss of Israeli bookings.