Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, is attending the 26th Session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), being held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 8 to 11 November 2025.
The Hon. Minister had a productive meeting today with the CEO of GTN Global and his team. Minister Herath apprised them of enormous investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka and invited them to invest in the fields of AI technology, aquaculture, and wellness tourism in Sri Lanka.
The Hon. Minister met with the top management of Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group, one of the leading healthcare providers in the region. The Hon. Minister also had the opportunity to undertake a brief tour of their state-of-the-art medical facility, which is equipped with advanced technology and AI-driven systems. It was gratifying to note the significant contribution of Sri Lankans to the development of technology utilized by the Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Group through their development center in Colombo. Discussions focused on potential investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector, including prospects for collaboration in medical tourism.
The Hon. Minister was delighted to join the opening of the 26th General Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organization being held in Riyadh, which also commemorates its 50th anniversary. This is a vital global forum for sustainable tourism development.
The Hon. Minister had a productive bilateral meeting with H.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during his visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the 26th UNWTO General Assembly in Riyadh. The Hon. Minister and H.H. Prince Faisal discussed ways and means to further consolidate bilateral political and economic cooperation. The Hon. Minister briefed on Sri Lanka’s current investment-friendly environment and invited the Saudi private sector to utilize the investment opportunities unfolding in the country in various sectors. The Hon. Minister also highlighted the first-ever Business Council that is going to be established between the Federations of Chambers of both countries during his visit, which would serve as a catalyst to enhance private sector interaction between the two countries. While commending Saudi Arabia’s leading role in finding a lasting solution to the Palestine issue, the Hon. Minister reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s traditional and unwavering support to the Palestine cause. During his meeting, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs officially handed over the commemorative stamps issued by the Saudi Post to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
The Hon. Minister Vijitha Herath was honoured to receive from H.H. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia the commemorative stamps issued by the Saudi Post to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. This marked a historic moment in the diplomatic relations between the two countries. As Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two friendly countries, they pledged their continued commitment to further elevate their historic and enduring bilateral relations to new heights.
The Hon. Minister met with H.E. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Culture and Tourism of India, on the sidelines of the UNWTO General Assembly in Riyadh. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in tourism, including experiential, spiritual, and MICE tourism. The Hon. Minister conveyed his appreciation to the Government of India for its continued assistance in various tourism development projects in Sri Lanka and invited Indian investors to explore the ready-to-invest opportunities available in the tourism and hospitality sector
The Hon. Minister met with H.E. Sherif Fathi Attia, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt. Discussions explored possible cooperation in archaeological and heritage tourism, as well as cruise tourism. Both parties agreed that there are numerous areas of mutual interest to strengthen partnerships in the tourism and hospitality sector. The Hon. Minister underscored the importance of activating the existing formal mechanism for tourism cooperation between the two countries. The Hon. Minister also congratulated the Egyptian Minister on the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).
The Hon. Minister met with H.E. Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism of South Africa, on the sidelines of the UNWTO General Assembly in Riyadh. They discussed advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in the tourism and hospitality sectors, with a focus on eco and wildlife tourism, nature-based tourism, and sports tourism.
Sri Lanka supports the “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism” at the 26th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly. The Hon. Minister conveyed Sri Lanka’s strong support for the Declaration. During his intervention, the Hon. Minister briefed the Assembly on the importance of tourism and digitalization in Sri Lanka’s current economic development agenda. He further highlighted that the Declaration’s policy and its strategic as well as implementational dimensions are well aligned with Sri Lanka’s own digitalization and tourism policy orientation. Sri Lanka looks forward to the timely implementation of the Declaration’s key outcomes, including reports on the use of AI and its impact on tourism, as well as the prospects for a future convention.
The Hon. Minister inaugurated the pavilion of Sri Lanka manpower agencies at the 7th HRLS Expo 2025, being held in Riyadh, during his visit to attend the 26th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly. 26 SLBFE-licensed foreign employment agencies are taking part in the Expo. Manpower agencies engaged in promotional and networking activities aiming at expanding employment opportunities for Sri Lankan manpower in the Kingdom. The Hon. Minister emphasized the importance of promoting Sri Lankan skilled manpower and maximizing foreign remittance inflows while ensuring safe employment migration. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad, and Embassy officials were present during the occasion.
On the margins of the TOURISE event, organized by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, the Hon. Minister met with Mr. Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD). The Hon. Minister conveyed Sri Lanka’s gratitude to the SFD for its longstanding development assistance to Sri Lanka and their continued disbursement of funds, even during the country’s recent economic downturn. The Hon. Minister also expressed Sri Lanka’s commitment to further strengthening cooperation with SFD in the years ahead.
The Hon. Minister witnessed the launch of the historic Sri Lanka–Saudi Arabia Joint Business Council on 11 November 2025 by an MoU between the Federation of Saudi Chambers (FSC) and the Sri Lanka Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SLFCC) at the headquarters of FSC in Riyadh. The Hon. Minister addressed the Federation of Saudi Chambers, highlighting trade and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. Chairman of FSC, Hassan Al-Huwaizi, and President of SLFCC, Keerthi Gunawardane, who virtually joined the meeting, signed the MoU establishing the Business Council. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad, and Chairman of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce, Hassan Al-Huwaizi, exchanged the signed MoU. This first-ever B2B Forum between the two countries will serve as a catalyst to enhance private sector interactions between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
