DOHA :The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Qatar has initiated an internship programme in collaboration
with The Ned Doha, a luxury hotel and private members’ club in Doha, to provide
international industry exposure and practical training opportunities for students of the Sri
Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM).
The first batch of eight out of twelve Sri Lankan students arrived in Doha and commenced
their internships on 25 October 2026, gaining practical experience in key hospitality areas,
including front office operations, housekeeping and culinary arts.
During his official visit to Qatar to participate in the World Investment Forum 2026, the
Deputy Minister of Tourism of Sri Lanka, Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe, attended the
inauguration ceremony at The Ned Doha and congratulated the students on commencing
their professional training.
Addressing the occasion, the Deputy Minister highlighted the Government’s commitment to
developing a skilled workforce for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry by providing young people
with international exposure, practical experience and opportunities to acquire internationally
recognised hospitality skills and standards. He expressed confidence that such initiatives
would contribute to improving the quality and competitiveness of Sri Lanka’s tourism sector.
The Deputy Minister also expressed appreciation to The Ned Doha for providing internship
opportunities to Sri Lankan students and encouraged the hotel to expand the programme by
accommodating more trainees in the coming years. He further acknowledged the efforts of
SLITHM and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Doha in initiating and implementing the
programme.
The Managing Director of The Ned Doha, Massimiliano Binda, stated that more than 40 Sri
Lankan professionals are currently employed at the hotel and commended their performance
and contribution to its operations. He also proposed establishing a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the relevant institutions to formalise arrangements and
facilitate the recruitment of additional Sri Lankan interns in the future.
The event was attended by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Qatar, Sithara Khan; Minister of
the Embassy of Sri Lanka, Dharmasiri Wijewardana; Deputy Director (International
Relations) of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Suranga Liyanapahirana;
Director of Human Resources of The Ned Doha, Denise Dias; Director of Finance, Dimuthu
Weerasiri; and Director of Engineering, Chathura Wanniarachchi, among others.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Doha
02 November 2026
