Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad, planted tree sapling at the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification in the Aseer Region, marking his visit to the region as part of the ‘Sri Lanka Ambassador’s Tree Planting Programme’, a flagship initiative launched by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh in 2024, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. The campaign aims to reaffirm Sri Lanka’s commitment to supporting the environmental objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI).
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad highlighted that the tree planting campaign represents a practical expression of Sri Lanka’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia’s environmental transformation and its commitment to strengthening cooperation in areas of common interest, including reforestation, biodiversity conservation, land restoration, climate resilience and sustainable development.
The tree planting in Aseer builds on a series of similar activities undertaken by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh on previous occasions at five public parks in Riyadh, the National Park of Al-Qassim, and the Saudi National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification (NCVC) in Al-Ahsa, together with members of the Sri Lankan community. These initiatives bring Sri Lanka’s environmental outreach closer to local communities while contributing to the Kingdom’s greening efforts. The Ambassador noted that Aseer, with its distinctive mountains, forests, biodiversity and natural landscapes, provides a particularly meaningful setting for such an initiative.
Sri Lanka’s commitment to environmental cooperation with the Kingdom has gained further momentum following Sri Lanka’s accession to the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) as a Regional Member in January 2026. The Sri Lankan delegation participated in the recently held 20th MGI Executive Committee Meeting, led by Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody.
The Sri Lanka Ambassador’s Tree Planting Campaign symbolises Sri Lanka’s support for the Kingdom’s environmental vision, its commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the environmental sector, and its aspiration to contribute to a greener and more sustainable future for both countries.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh, together with the Sri Lankan community in the Kingdom, will continue to promote practical initiatives supporting the environmental priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and strengthening Sri Lanka–Saudi cooperation in climate action, environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, afforestation, sustainable tourism and combating desertification.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Riyadh
24 August 2026
