95th National Day : Saudi highlights role of 250,000 SL workers
Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Khalid bin Hamoud Alkahtani, says Saudi Arabia hosts more than 250,000 Sri Lankan workers, who contribute significantly to the country’s development. In his message for the 95th National Day of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Alkahtani said bilateral relations have developed significantly under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
He further said that several agreements and memoranda of understanding have been signed between the two countries in various fields, and several more agreements and memoranda of understanding are in the process of being signed.“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Sri Lanka have enjoyed more than 51 years of formal diplomatic relations. Our relations are based on mutual respect, common interests and growing cooperation,” he added. The full statement of Saudi Ambassador Khalid bin Hamoud Alkahtani;
As we celebrate the ninety-fifth National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we not only celebrate our past, but also envision a brighter future, one that is inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and prosperous under the Kingdom’s wise leadership. On this day, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates the ninety-fifth anniversary of its founding by its founder, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. Every year, on this day, we recall the heroic actions taken by the founder to unite the Kingdom, unify its unity, and build its entity. After him, all kings continued the journey, achieving development and positioning the Kingdom at a high economic and political level, both regionally and globally.
I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and to the generous Saudi people. I wish the Kingdom further progress and development under the wisdom and acumen of its wise leadership.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may the Almighty protect him – and under the vision of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, has witnessed further tremendous development achievements in various fields and at all levels. This is achieved through the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which encompasses promising future projects and profound strategic plans for the development of the Kingdom, raising the standards of its citizens at all levels, and investing in people first and foremost through education, health, and empowering youth and women, followed by development projects such as NEOM, The Line, The Mukaab, Qiddiya, The Red Sea International, ROSHN, and King Salman Park.
The Kingdom is a key partner in maintaining international peace and security. Over the past few years, the Kingdom has hosted numerous summits, conferences, and meetings aimed at achieving international peace and security worldwide. Everyone may have recently followed the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic to peacefully resolve the Palestinian issue and implement the two-state solution. The Kingdom also prioritizes environmental conservation, protecting the planet, and mitigating climate risks. This was culminated in the announcement by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of a number of initiatives in this field, including the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, the establishment of a global water organization based in Riyadh, and increased reliance on clean energy.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Sri Lanka have enjoyed more than 51 years of formal diplomatic relations. Our relations are based on mutual respect, common interests and growing cooperation. These bilateral relations have developed significantly under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, with several agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries in various fields, and several more agreements and memoranda of understanding are in the process of being signed. The SaudiSri Lankan Joint Committee held its first meeting in Riyadh recently, and the second meeting will be held in the Republic of Sri Lanka in the coming period. This committee has explored several areas of cooperation across multiple sectors.
In the economic field, our bilateral trade volume reached approximately US$275 million in 2024, with the Kingdom’s total exports to Sri Lanka amounting to US$135 million, while Sri Lanka’s total exports to the Kingdom amounted to US$140 million. We look forward to increasing the trade volume between the two countries in the coming years.
Development cooperation is a cornerstone of our bilateral relationship. The Saudi Fund for Development has financed more than 15 major development projects in Sri Lanka, with total assistance exceeding SAR 1.5 billion (approximately US$425 million). We recently inaugurated the Wayamba University Township Development Project, one of the most significant of these projects. In addition, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) has implemented more than 23 humanitarian projects in Sri Lanka worth over US$15 million, focusing on health, nutrition, and emergency relief. Last week, we completed two Saudi Noor volunteer project to combat blindness and related diseases in Sri Lanka.
Saudi Arabia hosts more than 250,000 Sri Lankan workers, who contribute significantly to our country’s development. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia provides free scholarships annually to Sri Lankan students, with the total number of scholarships over the past years amounting to more than 500 scholarships. Also, thousands of Sri Lankans also visit the Kingdom annually to perform Umrah, Hajj or for tourism. The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 represents an ambitious roadmap to transform the Kingdom into a global hub for investment, innovation, and tourism. In this context, I warmly invite Sri Lankan companies, citizens, and businesspeople to explore the tremendous investment opportunities available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly in the tourism, clean energy, agriculture, and logistics sectors, and our pioneering mega projects, as well as to enjoy tourism in the Kingdom, which offers numerous tourist destinations and diverse recreational activities for tourists to benefit from.
Finally, I pray to the Almighty to grant our two friendly countries and peoples further success and progress.
