RIYADH : Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia hosts a Diplomatic Reception to mark Sri Lanka’s 77th Independence Day and 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad together with his spouse and the staff of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh hosted a grand diplomatic reception on 5th February 2025 at the Cultural Palace in the Diplomatic Quarters to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 77th Independence Day and the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. The event was graced by His Highness Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Mayor of the Riyadh Region, as the Chief Guest representing the Government of Saudi Arabia.
The celebration brought together over 400 distinguished guests, including high-ranking government officials from various ministries and institutions, Riyadh-based Ambassadors, diplomats, business leaders, professionals, academia, media personnel, friends of Sri Lanka and members of the Sri Lankan community in Saudi Arabia.
Addressing the large gathering of distinguished guests, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad underscored Sri Lanka’s political transformation and stability highlighting the historic super-majority mandate won by the government of Sri Lanka led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the Parliament of Sri Lanka representing all the communities of the country from the North to South and East to West which demonstrated the true spirit of Sri Lanka’s unity in diversity.
Ambassador also highlighted Sri Lanka’s strong economic recovery bolstered by positive growth, low inflation, a boom in tourism sector and a bullish stock market. Ambassador Ameer Ajwad specifically underlined the remarkable boom of Sri Lanka’s tourism sector and the resultant global testimonies and rankings by popular tourist journals such as Wanderlust Reader and BBC Travel’s Guide. He also pointed out that Sri Lanka had become a popular honeymoon destination among young Saudis and that the tourists from GCC countries had named Sri Lanka’s tourist destinations as “Jannathuddunya”, the paradise on the earth.
Highlighting the growing momentum of Sri Lanka’s private sector interest in Saudi market, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad pointed out that within the last a few months alone, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh had organized six Sri Lankan trade and services delegations representing various sectors to visit Saudi Arabia, for the first time of its kind, and participate at the Kingdom’s popular Expos such as the Riyadh Travel Fair – 2024, Saudi Food Ex – 2024, Saudi Agriculture Expo -2024, Saudi Manpower Expo – 2024, Saudi Handicraft Expo (Banan) – 2024. Eight Sri Lankan food and beverages companies also engaged in B2B meetings in January 2025 with their Saudi counterparts at the Riyadh and Dammam Chambers as well as Saudi Federation of Chambers.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad also expressed his appreciation to the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulazeez and the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom HRH Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud for extending a warm hospitality to a large number of Sri Lankan citizens living and working in the Kingdom. He also extended his profound gratitude to the Government of Saudi Arabia for the exceptional gesture of uninterrupted and continued development assistance to Sri Lanka through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) even during the time of recent financial crisis in the country. He also thanked King Salman Humanitarian and Relief Centre (KSrelief) for their continued humanitarian programmes in Sri Lanka.
“As a country which shares the objectives of the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Sri Lanka wishes to partner with Saudi Arabia in all aspects of its 2030 agenda and grow together. To this end, both countries are well poised to synergies and forge partnerships by establishing collaborative ventures in all the areas of mutual interest.” Ambassador Ameer Ajwad emphasized.
To mark the two historically significant occasions, Chief Guest, Mayor of Riyadh Prince Faisal bin Ayyaf jointly with Ambassador Ameer Ajwad inaugurated the celebrations by ceremonial cake-cutting to symbolize the strong bilateral ties that happily exist between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia for many decades.
During the event, a specially designed logo to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations was unveiled jointly by the Deputy Minister of Protocol Affairs of the Saudi Foreign Ministry Abdul Majeed Al- Shammari and Ambassador Ameer Ajwad together with the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Dya Eddine Bamakhrama representing the diplomatic community in Riyadh. The launch of logo was followed by the release of special messages exchanged by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka Vijitha Herath and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the special occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries.
Traditional cultural performances were staged during the event to mark the occasions. A popular Saudi poet Mohammed bin Salem bin Jalban Alkhatani recited an Arabic poem to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, while Sri Lankan children performed a specially composed song on the occasion. The popular Saudi Arabic calligrapher Ahmed Hussein Araqib was also present during the event to write the names of the guests in Arabic Diwani calligraphy and to gift them to the guests. Sri Lanka’s attractive tourist destinations were screened to the guests during the event.
The event concluded with a networking where the guests enjoyed authentic Sri Lankan cuisine prepared by Sri Lankan chefs in Riyadh.
