Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia strengthen economic partnership

A meeting between Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan A. Al-Marshad, was held yesterday afternoon (July 14) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

The primary focus of the discussion was to assess the current progress of projects implemented with assistance from the Saudi Fund for Development and to explore opportunities for new initiatives.

During the meeting, extensive discussions were held on the support provided by the Saudi Fund to Sri Lanka. The Fund also expressed its willingness to place greater emphasis on digitalization, recognizing its importance in strengthening and enhancing the efficiency of key public services.

The discussions further focused on the continued implementation of projects currently underway in Sri Lanka with the support of the Saudi Fund for Development.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recalled the long-standing friendship between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia and expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support extended by Saudi Arabia during Sri Lanka’s recent economic crisis.

The President stated that the assistance provided by the Saudi Fund for Development for new projects would be allocated based on the priorities of the people and directed toward meeting those identified needs.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Sri Lanka, H.E. Khalid Hamoud Nasser Aldasam Alkahtani, Director General of Asia Operations at the Saudi Fund for Development, Dr. Saud Ayid Al-Shammari, and a delegation of representatives from the Fund participated in the meeting.

Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were the Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando; Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Roshan Gamage; Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma; and Director General of the Department of External Resources, R.M.S.P.S. Bandara.