The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh - Saudi Arabia, graciously celebrated the 71st anniversary of Independence of Sri Lanka with a Special Reception on 27 February 2019 at the Cultural Palace in Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, with the participation of a large, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural gathering of the Sri Lankan expat community, under the auspicious of Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Azmi Thassim.
Deputy Governor of Riyadh, Dr. Faisal A. Alsudairy graced this occasion as the chief guest.
The event started with singing of the National Anthems of both countries followed by a brief speech by Ambassador Azmi Thassim explaining Sri Lanka’s future trajectory in development. He also recalled the strong bonds of friendship, based on historical ties, between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia which continues to flourish. He also announced that the year 2019 also signifies 45 years of establishing diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia and unveiled the logo which commemorates that event.
Another significant feature of this event was launching a special bilingual souvenir titled ‘Facets of Sri Lanka’ portraying articles on Social, economic, trade, tourism, skilled labour and investment potentials of Sri Lanka.
At the event, different aspects of Sri Lanka was promoted through a number of diverse activities such as cultural performances, display of tourist attractions which included brochures and videos, exhibiting key sectors of the Sri Lanka economy and raffle draws. Participants were provided with an opportunity to taste Ceylon tea throughout the event.
The Chief Guest was appreciated by gifting a carving of a Sri Lankan tusker and a Sri Lankan premium tea chest. All other guests were offered with Ceylon tea, a copy of the special souvenir, tourism material and leaflets on Sri Lankan exports as a token of appreciation for their participation.
Sri Lankan Airline’s information desk provided information for the guests adding value to the event. A photo booth was established enabling the guests to make the visit to Sri Lankan National Day Celebration 2019 a memorable one by getting a photo in a printable format.
This gala event was attended by well over 400 members of the diplomatic corps representing many countries, Saudi government representatives, business leaders and professionals both from Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. The guests in attendance were also entertained to an array of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine.
This event was organized with the joint collaboration of the Embassy, the Sri Lankan professionals living in Saudi Arabia and the partners and well-wishers both from Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Riyadh
08 March 2019
