As a part of community outreach initiative launched by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh to recognize long-served Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia Ameer Ajwad felicitated Mohamed Azeerdeen, a member of Sri Lankan Malay community in Riyadh. Azeerdeen has rendered 30 years of dedicated service at Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF) and is now departing the Kingdom permanently. He commenced his career at BSF in 1996 as a clerk in the operations department and was subsequently promoted to the position of team leader in the treasury back office.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad reflected on the invaluable contributions of the Malay community in Sri Lanka and commended the active engagement of Sri Lankan Malay community members in Saudi Arabia in fostering closer ties between Sri Lanka and the Kingdom. He further emphasized that Sri Lankan migrant workers constitute a vital pillar of the bilateral relationship between the two friendly nations, making meaningful contributions across various sectors to the development of the host country, while also supporting the national economy through their remittances. In recognition of Azeerdeen’s longstanding service and his dedication to the Sri Lankan community in Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Ajwad presented him with a commemorative memento.
The felicitation ceremony took place on 16 October 2025 during an event organized by the Sri Lankan Malays Association (SLAMA) in Riyadh, under the leadership of Sudara Thasnir Deen Thassim—son of the late Marhoom S.B.C. Thassim, a distinguished and long-serving banker from the Sri Lankan Malay community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event was also attended by Vice President of SLAMA, Sudara Nasoordeen Packeer, along with prominent members of the Malay community in Riyadh.
The ceremony formed part of the Embassy’s ongoing initiative, launched in July 2024, aimed at recognizing senior Sri Lankan migrant workers who have rendered exceptional service to both their home and host countries over the decades. Since its inception, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh has felicitated five distinguished Sri Lankan migrant workers from various professional backgrounds who have returned to Sri Lanka upon concluding their tenure in the Kingdom.
The Sri Lanka Malays Association (SLAMA) was established in 2010 with the objective of preserving the Malay language and cultural heritage, while fostering unity among the Sri Lankan community residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since its inception, SLAMA has actively organized a wide array of educational, cultural, sports, and community welfare initiatives, contributing meaningfully to the enrichment and cohesion of the diaspora.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Riyadh
22 October 2025
