

RIYADH : The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh marked the 77th Anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence by organizing a flag hoisting ceremony on 04 February 2025 at the Embassy premises.
The event commenced with the hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad to the sound of magulbera, followed by singing the national anthem by the students of the Sri Lankan International School in Riyadh.
Keeping with tradition, a two-minute silence was observed in remembrance and honour of all patriots who sacrificed their lives for the motherland. Thereafter, community representatives joined the lighting of the traditional oil lamp with the Embassy staff followed by the multifaith observances conducted by the religious dignitaries to invoke blessings upon the country and all Sri Lankans.
The Independence Day messages of President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister were read out in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad greeted the Sri Lankan community in the Kingdom and briefed on the policy of the new Government of Sri Lanka based on three pillars namely, alleviation of rural poverty, digital economy and clean Sri Lanka. Ambassador also pointed out that since the Government of Sri Lanka has achieved a historic mandate winning the hearts and minds of all the communities in the country from North to South and East to West for the first time, he emphasized the importance of all communities, irrespective of their differences, to join hands with the Government of Sri Lanka for the nation building. Ambassador also invited Sri Lankan community in the Kingdom to contribute to the “Clean Sri Lanka” projects introduced by the Government.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad also highlighted the completion of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and outlined the initiatives taken by the Embassy to commemorate this historic milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries. Ambassador also briefed on the initiatives by the Embassy to reach out to the community by introducing a successful fortnightly program named “Talk to Your Ambassador” and invited the members of the Sri Lanka community in the Kingdom to make use of it to discuss their issues and make their suggestions to the Embassy.
During the event, awards were presented by the Ambassador to the students of Sri Lanka International Schools in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam who won in the art, essays and logo designing competitions conducted by the Embassy to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
The event was attended by nearly 300 Sri Lankan expatriates.
The ceremony concluded with traditional Sri Lankan cuisine served to guests.