Abdulla Shamaal

Abdulla Shamaal MA MSc psc (born 5 July 1969) is a Brigadier General in the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and has a military service of more than 25 years. He currently serves as the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

General Shamaal was born to a middle-class family in the capital of Maldives, Male'. After joining the Maldives National Defence Force in April 1988, he attended various training schools both locally and abroad. General Shamaal was commissioned to the rank of lieutenant after graduating from the Pakistan Military Academy with a bachelor's degree. Since then he has been posted twice for training in the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA, in 1996 and 2000.^[1]

He had been the Defense Attaché (DA) from Maldives to India. He was the country's first Defense Attaché to serve abroad in a Maldivian mission. Before taking over the post of DA in India in 2005, he was staff officer, Foreign Training Coordination in the Ministry of Defense and National Security. He was also the assistant to the commanding officer of the Quick Reaction Force. His previous appointments include Commander Male' Area, Commander of Training and Doctrine Command and was also overseeing International Defence Cooperation in the Ministry of Defence and National Security.

Trainings and Experiences

General Shamaal obtained a Master's degree in Defense and Security Analysis at University of Lancaster in the United Kingdom from 1998 to 1999, where his research focused on international defense and security issues. General Shamaal is also a graduate of Defense Services Staff College, Wellington, India, where he pursued his second master's degree, obtaining a first class result in Defense and Strategic Studies from the University of Madras in 2003.

On 7 June 2012, General Shamaal graduated from the National Defense University, Washington DC, USA, obtaining his third master's degree, specializing in Strategic Security Studies. He was awarded a distinguished honor graduate of the course and General Shamaal’s thesis was nominated to present as an honor thesis.

He has also attended various conferences and seminars on security and defense strategy, including Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies Executive Seminar at National Defense University (NDU) in Washington DC in May 2001; Non-Lethal Weapons Seminar at Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) in September 2003; and Asia Public Affairs Symposium in Singapore in February 2003; as well as other conferences in New Delhi. In 2012 March General Shamaal was nominated and inducted to the United Nations Roster of Senior Experts on Security Sector Reform.

General Shamaal has been decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal, Presidential Medal, Dedicated Service Medal, Defence Force Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 3 November Medal and Centenary Medal.

Family

He is currently married to Fathimath Firasha and has two daughters, Fathmath Yasmeen and Aishath Yara.

References