MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
COLOMBO : Speaking exclusively to the Colombo Times, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia, O.L. Ameer Ajwad, stated that all arrangements have been made for the ceremonial inauguration of the Saudi Arabia-funded Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sabaragamuwa on Saturday, 4 July 2026. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.
A high-level delegation from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), headed by Eng. Faisal Mohammed H. AlKahtani, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fund for Development, has arrived in Sri Lanka. The delegation also comprises Dr. Saud Ayid R. Alshammari, Director General of Asia Operations; Dr. Rabi Hezab T. Alsaadon, Director General of Corporate Communications; and Mr. Mohamed Sulaiman M. Algwaifly, Senior Protocol Expert. The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka, Khalid Hamoud AlKahtani, will also grace the occasion.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad stated that the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), the arm of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s development financing, has provided US$50 million (SAR 187.5 million) for the Faculty of Medicine Development Project at the University of Sabaragamuwa. This milestone marks yet another successfully completed educational project funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within the span of just one year. The SFD previously completed and inaugurated the Wayamba University Township Development Project, valued at US$28 million, on 14 July 2025.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad further noted that the Saudi-funded Faculty of Medicine Development Project at the University of Sabaragamuwa is not merely an investment in infrastructure; it is an investment in people, healthcare, education, regional development, and the future prosperity of the Sabaragamuwa Province and Sri Lanka as a whole.
The state-of-the-art Faculty of Medicine project comprises the development of facilities at two strategic locations: the main Faculty complex, situated on a 20-acre site and consisting of 13 purpose-built academic, administrative, and support buildings, together with student hostel facilities accommodating 500 students, staff quarters, a modern library, and a 1,000-seat auditorium; and a Professorial Unit at the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital, housed in a G+8-storey building, designed to strengthen clinical teaching, training, and research through modern laboratories and advanced medical facilities.
The envoy further emphasized that the Saudi-funded Faculty of Medicine is a strategic investment in Sri Lanka’s future, demonstrating Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to supporting the country’s education sector and human capital development. As Sri Lanka’s tenth Faculty of Medicine, it will enable more qualified students to pursue medical education locally, helping address the shortage of medical professionals while decentralizing medical education beyond Colombo and other traditional university centres.
He also highlighted that the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has, to date, extended approximately US$438 million (SAR 1.5 billion) in concessional development financing to Sri Lanka through 15 major projects. These include the Colombo Water Supply and Sewerage Project, the Kinniya Bridge—the longest bridge in Sri Lanka—the Neuro-Trauma Unit at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, the Kalu Ganga Development Project, the Wayamba University Township Development Project, and the Peradeniya–Badulla–Chenkaladi Road Project. These investments continue to make a significant contribution to Sri Lanka’s sustainable socio-economic development.
Ajwad further noted that the Saudi Fund for Development was the only bilateral development financing institution that continued disbursing funds for its ongoing projects throughout Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. He also recalled that Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka signed a loan restructuring agreement in July 2025 in Colombo, reflecting the Kingdom’s continued support for Sri Lanka’s economic recovery.
The ambassador conveyed the Government of Sri Lanka’s sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for their unwavering support towards the social and economic development of Sri Lanka.
Ajwad also extended his profound appreciation to H.E. Mr. Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD); Eng. Faisal Mohammed H. AlKahtani, Deputy Chief Executive Officer; Dr. Saud Ayid R. Alshammari, Director General of Asia Operations; and the senior officials of the SFD for their continued commitment and invaluable cooperation in advancing sustainable development in Sri Lanka over the years.
