Kingdom major supporter of Lanka’s development drive

RIYADH: As Sri Lanka celebrates its 68th Independence Day today, its ambassador Azmi Thassim reiterated his country’s commitment to strengthen the strong ties between the island and the Kingdom.
“Saudi Arabia is significant not only because it is home to nearly 500,000 Sri Lankans but also it is a holy land for the Muslims who make up nine percent of the country’s 21 million population,” the envoy said, pointing out that a large number of Sri Lankan Muslims regularly visit the Kingdom for the Haj and Umrah pilgrimages throughout the year.
Thassim, whose late father, M.R. Thassim, was the first ambassador of the Kingdom in 1981, was speaking to Arab News on the eve of his country’s independence day.
“Ever since we established diplomatic relations with the Kingdom in July 1974, the two countries have been maintaining excellent relations in social, cultural, political and economic fields,” Thassim said.

“We are thankful to the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for special care given to the Muslims from all parts of the world including Sri Lanka.”
Recently, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on “domestic worker recruitment” to streamline the process of recruitment and to protect the rights of both employers and domestic workers.
It is designed to enhance cooperation on domestic worker recruitment in a manner that realizes the strategic interests of both countries.
“The two countries enjoy a general agreement on economic, trade, investment, scientific, technical, cultural, youth and sports cooperation,” the envoy said, adding that it paved the way for new areas of cooperation in various fields.
As a result, he said Saudi investors have begun to show more interest in the island since it safeguards the interests of investors from both countries.
Sri Lankan exports to the Kingdom include tea, garments, coir, fiber, fruits and vegetables, cut-flowers, leather goods and porcelain products.
Earlier, the two countries also signed a unified contract to incorporate the rights and privileges of employees as well as the employers.
“This has cut down several labor problems and has increased the number of Sri Lankans coming into the Kingdom,” the ambassador said.
The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has been instrumental in financing several projects in the island.
The recent construction of a bridge, which links the eastern town of Trincomalee with Kinniya, is beneficial to some 100,000 residents in the areaas they were previously using a ferry as their mode of transport to come to Trincomalee, the north-eastern capital of the island.
The Trincomalee- Batticaloa highway was also widened with the same funds allocated under the agreement .
In the early 1980s, the Kingdom gave financial assistance to Sri Lanka for various projects.
In 1981, SR99.9 million in credit was extended by the Kingdom for the second stage of the water supply and sewage project and another SR48.1 million for the Mahaweli River Development project system B.
In 1984, the Kingdom provided SR85 million for the Mahaweli River Development Project system B left bank.
To open new trading opportunities for businessmen in all parts of the globe, including Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka has also opened an online trading platform.
Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board (EDB) which is at the forefront of developing the island’s products and services has an online E Market Place srilankabusiness.com/emarketplace/ which is the portal for leveraging the Internet for showcasing the country’s products and services in the world market where people can purchase Ari Lankan quality goods online, specially world renowned “Ceylon Tea” products etc.
The Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka offers a wide range of incentives for foreign investors. Prospective investors can find more details about investment opportunities and incentives through investsrilanka.com.
With the restoration of peace and good governance (Yahapalanaya) in the island, Sri Lanka has regained its position as a popular tourist destination.
From the earliest times, it has been a land of endless attractions for visitors from all parts of the world.
The tourist traffic from the Kingdom to Colombo has considerably increased and most of the Saudis are going either on business or leisure with their families. More details on Sri Lanka Tourism can be found on srilanka.travel.
“I am happy to note that the increased number of direct flights connecting Colombo and Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah are also promoting trade, tourism, and people-to-people contact. Last year, more than 30,000 Saudis visited Sri Lanka. Since tourism is the primary area facilitating people to people contact, the Sri Lankan government has streamlined its procedure of issuing visas through the ETA system,” said the envoy.
Two community schools in Riyadh and Jeddah cater to the educational needs of Sri Lankan students.
Another school in Dammam has received the license and it is set to open during the new academic year .
The ambassador said his country is an ideal tourist destination for a family holiday.
He pointed out that the Saudi tourists are heavy spenders and they look for South Asian destinations for their holidays.
“We have plenty of attractions to offer Saudi tourists and we are making every effort to attract tourists from this part of the world,” he added.
He asaid that Saudi families, who visited Sri Lanka, had always opted to travel there again because of the island’s natural scenic beauty and the hospitality of its people.
“Muslim visitors will feel at home in the city of Colombo since they will find mosques in the vicinity of every shopping center,” he said.
In fact, he said, women in Hijab are a common sight in the city.
“A good number of Saudi nationals currently visit Sri Lanka for their leisure and honeymoon.”
The island has 18,000 quality rooms for the comfort of luxury tourists.
Sri Lanka is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, several Buddhist and Hindu temples, and other ancient monuments that serve as attractions for travelers.
Adam’s Peak, a mountain in the Central Province, is considered sacred by a number of religions.
The eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka includes the central highlands area comprising the Hortons Plains National Park and Knuckles Conservation Forest, the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, the Dutch Fort in Galle, the Golden Temple of Dambulla, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, and the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, and Sigiriya.
The high mobility link between the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake and Colombo was realized with the opening of the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway (CKE), with enhanced safety designed to boost the country’s economy in addition to providing pleasant travel for road users enabling them to reach the airport from Colombo swiftly and safely.
The ambassador concluded that during his tenure in the Kingdom his aim is to strengthen bilateral relations, enhance economic and development partnerships, improve the labor force into the Kingdom and increase Saudi tourism into Sri Lanka through strategic and well concerted efforts.
The envoy also thanked Saudi authorities and the Sri Lankans in the Kingdom for extending their support to him.