Shaiha Ahmed, as the Country Coordinator for the Maldives Field Team of the Maritime Asia Heritage Survey (MAHS), brings a wealth of experience in heritage management.

Prior to her current role, she contributed significantly to cultural preservation at the National Center for Cultural Heritage (NCCH) under the Maldives Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Heritage. During her time there as a Project officer, She has worked with organizations such as UNESCO, World Monuments Fund (WMF) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). One of her key highlights was working with UNESCO to safeguard the intangible heritage of the Maldives and to the nomination dossier for the inclusion of the Male Hukuru Miskiy (Friday Mosque) on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites.

Shaiha also volunteered during the pilot phase of the Maldives Heritage Survey. Since 2023, she has been involved in archival heritage as an Archivist. Her work with the MAHS ignited a strong interest in digital heritage, broadening her perspective on the field. She’s passionate about expanding her knowledge in heritage policy development, archival collection management, and the application of digital tools for documentation and preservation.