The much admired, respected and loved technology evangelist, mentor and friend to many within the Maldives' IT scene, and the extended community, died on 23 January 2022.
Riyazi (second from left) at AngelHack Maldives
For those who knew him, his spontaneity, even as he became a part of their lives, will remain a defining memory. This is true of every single person he met. It wouldn’t come as a surprise that you wouldn't even have to introduce him to your friends; if you were at a table with him and someone came by, he would be the first to introduce himself, with a disarming and welcoming demeanour one doesn’t often see much anymore. This is how you're introduced to Daadi and who he is in life; at work, at play, with friends and with relative strangers.
Loved by everyone is how you would describe him. Humble, intelligent, and always one to look after his friends, family, and colleagues, Ahmed Riyazi Mohamed is a man of many achievements and ground-breaking work. He once served as the General Manager at Allied Insurance, Assistant Manager at the MMA's Mobile Banking Division, and as the Product Manager and head of Infrastructure at Mindvalley before he moved on to other, even more personally and professionally fulfilling work.
In his most recent professional foray, he served as the Product Lead at LottieFiles, a predominantly Maldivian-led technology company based out of Malaysia — while also being the IT Consultant to both Dhivehi Insurance and ENSIS. As someone who always aspired to excellence in the field of information technology, Daadi made it a distinct point to never keep his knowledge and wisdom to himself; he had a multitude of projects to his name outside of work as well.
He was a Co-Founder at SparkHub, a management consultancy firm working towards strengthening the startup ecosystem in the Maldives. His community work also includes being Co-Founder at Kickstart, the NGO that organised the first ‘hackathon’ in the Maldives, as well as being an Organising Member at Science Emmenah, which works towards his long-term personal goals of making science accessible to more and more people.
Through all of these details in the fabric, it is the overall tapestry that is Riyazi that people around the world mourn today. He is described as the 'papa-mentor' to multitudes, people who he worked with, trained, mentored, motivated, and constantly supported all throughout his career.
It wasn't out of the ordinary for Riyazi to randomly get in touch and send you books or podcasts that he felt you might like or benefit from. He was one to always remember the 'little things' of those around him, to be present in a way that felt like he was never beyond a push of a button. According to countless friends and colleagues, in the fast paced world of today when one finds it difficult to even keep updated on the affairs of an extended family, there was something magical about the way Daadi never left anyone behind, never made even the shortest of conversations feel fruitless and lacking friendship.
On top of this, Riyazi is the bastion against the disenchantment of the IT field. He constantly fought for the rights of developers and technicians to be treated better in the workplace, to demand better pay and working conditions especially in the Maldives, and he did so with humility and consideration — yet firm in his resolve. He would collaborate with professionals around the world, to learn from the innovative changes to the work environments, and, at a drop of a hat, work out how to adapt those to a Maldivian context.
Riyazi didn't shy away from voicing his frustrations — yet always with a focus finding solutions. Running his own website, one of the more timely pieces he published was regarding the frustrations of developers; and nearly every word echoes the worries and angst of the people in his industry. He was not one to chase the credit nor the penny, yet he did know that the best way to push for positive change was to make his way to the top of his field, and this he did without fail.
Riyazi's sudden passing at the age of 38, while out exercising, has been a shock leaving everyone in his orbit reeling. Daadi has touched the lives of many who may not even know him, having been the leader of the developing team of the Aasandha system which now assists countless lives in the Maldives, and this is only one aspect of his work. His influence, and warmth, has left a indelible mark on many; as they celebrate his legacy while also mourning their loss.
Ahmed Riyazi Mohamed will not be forgotten, and as he worked to ensured that no one was left behind, it is fitting that his examples, efforts and his memories will live through the projects he oversaw and the ideas he brought into this world and to his community.
