The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh celebrated the 77th anniversary of the independence of Sri Lanka by organizing a flag hoisting ceremony on 04 February 2025 at the Embassy premises.
The event commenced with the hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad to the sound of magulbera, followed by the singing of the national anthem by the students of the Sri Lankan International School in Riyadh.
In keeping with tradition, a two-minute silence was observed in remembrance and honour of all patriots who sacrificed their lives for the motherland. Thereafter, community representatives joined the lighting of the traditional oil lamp with the Embassy staff. Multi-faith observances were conducted by the religious dignitaries to invoke blessings upon the country and all its citizens. The Independence Day messages of the President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka were read out in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad greeted the Sri Lankan community in the Kingdom and briefed them on the policy of the new Government of Sri Lanka based on three pillars: alleviation of rural poverty, digital economy and clean Sri Lanka. The Ambassador also pointed out that since the Government of Sri Lanka has achieved a historic mandate winning the hearts and minds of all the communities in the country from North to South and East to West, it is important that all communities, irrespective of their differences, join hands with the Government of Sri Lanka for the nation building. The Ambassador also invited the Sri Lankan community in the Kingdom to contribute to the “Clean Sri Lanka” projects introduced by the Government.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad also highlighted the completion of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and outlined the initiatives taken by the Embassy to commemorate the historic milestone in the bilateral relations. Furthermore, he underscored the initiatives of the Embassy to reach out to the community through the successful fortnightly program titled “Talk to Your Ambassador”. He invited the members of the Sri Lankan community in the Kingdom to make use of it to discuss their issues and present their suggestions to the Embassy.
During the event, the Ambassador presented awards to the students of Sri Lanka International Schools in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam who won the art, essay writing and logo designing competitions conducted by the Embassy to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
The event was attended by nearly 300 Sri Lankan expatriates and the celebrations concluded with the serving of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine to guests.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Riyadh
06 February 2025
