Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad, undertook his first official visit after assuming his duties as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Holy City of Madinah Al-Munawwarah from 17–18 July 2024.
During his visit, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Madinah Region Salman Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. Welcoming the Ambassador to the Madinah Region, the Governor extended his warm greetings to Ambassador Ameer Ajwad and assured him of his close cooperation to further enhance bilateral relations across all areas of mutual interest.
In response, while thanking the Governor for his warm welcome to the Madinah region, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad highlighted the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, which falls this year. Tracing the historic relations between the two countries, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad recalled that while modern diplomatic relations were established in 1974, ancient diplomatic relations date back to the 7th century CE, when the Sri Lankan King of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, Aggabodhi III (623–640 CE), dispatched an envoy to Madinah during the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in response to the request of Arab communities living in Sri Lanka, known as "Serendib" by Arabs. Ambassador Ameer Ajwad pointed out that his visit to Madinah held sentimental value, particularly at a time when the two countries commemorate this milestone in their diplomatic relations. To mark this significant occasion, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad presented a Sri Lankan "bougainvillea" plant sapling to the Governor of Madinah, to be planted in Madinah City as a goodwill gesture in support of Saudi Arabia’s SGI target to plant 10 billion trees across the country.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad also met with, President of the Islamic University of Madinah Dr. Saleh bin Ali Al-Aqla, where a significant number of Sri Lankan students are pursuing studies in various faculties on academic scholarships. A fruitful discussion took place between the Ambassador and the President to explore ways and means to further enhance educational cooperation between the Islamic University of Madinah and Sri Lankan universities across various fields. The Ambassador also interacted with members of the Sri Lankan student community currently studying at the University.
During the visit, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad also addressed the Madinah Chamber of Commerce. First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber Nayef Al Saedi, together with the Secretary General and members of the Board of Directors of the Madinah Chamber of Commerce, warmly welcomed the Ambassador and hosted a special meeting at the Chamber's premises. The Ambassador delivered a PowerPoint presentation to the Board of Directors, highlighting potential areas for B2B collaborations between the private sectors of both countries, including trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, and IT sectors.
The Ambassador's visit also included visits to cultural and historic museums in Madinah city, as well as the Prophet’s Mosque and the King Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Riyadh
24 July 2024
