COLOMBO: Saudi ambassador in Colombo Abdulnasser Al Harthi, who has been in Sri Lanka for the past four years bade good bye on Wednesday, March 30 in completion of his tour of duty in the island.
Al Harthi paid his farewell call on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday March 29 and also met with the prime minister Mahinda Rakapaksa on Wednesday, March 30 at the Temple Trees.
The ambassador is slated to leave the island on Thursday morning on March 31.
Speaking to Colombo Times, the outgoing ambassador said that Saudi Arabia intends to continually provide the assistance of the Saudi Development Fund to Sri Lanka.
So far, the Saudi Development Fund has granted soft loans for more than half a billion US dollars and the Kinniya bridge in the Eastern Province.National Trauma Hospital in Colombo and the newly developed highways speak for the contribution made by the Kingdom towards infrastructure developments in Lanka.
The envoy said a high-level Saudi delegation will soon visit Sri Lanka to explore the investment opportunities in the renewable energy sector and other sectors/
During his meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, it was pointed out that Sri Lankan could offer special tax concessions for foreign investors.
The President pointed out the vast opportunities available in Sri Lanka for direct investment in the pharmaceutical, technology and apparel industries.
The President invited the Saudi Government to explore investment opportunities associated with the Colombo Port City and the proposed Ship Repairing and Manufacturing Facility to be built at the Hambantota Port, and thanked the Government of Saudi Arabia for its development assistance provided through the Saudi Development Fund.
Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Deputy Head of Mission Abdullah A. Aorkobi were also present on the occasion.
