Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad, launched Sri Lanka’s renowned Bogawantalawa Tea, one of the country’s finest premium Ceylon Tea brands, at Tamimi Markets, the leading hypermarket chain in Saudi Arabia, on 9 July 2026 in Riyadh. Ceylon Tea Gardens of Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC supplies Bogawantalawa Tea exclusively to the Tamimi hypermarket chain in the Kingdom.

Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad pointed out that Saudi Arabia is one of the most important export destinations for Ceylon Tea and that the launch of Bogawantalawa Tea marked yet another significant milestone in expanding the presence of premium Ceylon Tea in the Saudi market. While expressing appreciation to Tamimi Markets for providing an excellent platform to introduce premium Sri Lankan tea to Saudi consumers, the Ambassador proposed the establishment of a dedicated “Sri Lanka Corner” for premium Sri Lankan products in Tamimi Markets. He also highlighted the steady growth of Sri Lankan exports to Saudi Arabia in recent years and emphasized the importance of further expanding Sri Lanka’s export basket in the Kingdom.

Co-Chairman of Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC, Mr. Lalith Ambani, introduced the Ceylon Tea Gardens brand, stating that Bogawantalawa Tea is internationally renowned for its exceptional quality, distinctive flavour, freshness, and heritage spanning over a century. He noted that the introduction of Bogawantalawa Tea under the Ceylon Tea Gardens brand enriches Tamimi Markets’ premium tea portfolio by providing consumers across Saudi Arabia with access to the authentic taste of premium Ceylon Tea.

Chief Executive Officer of Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC, Mr. Almas Marikkar, highlighted the company’s diverse product range and its commitment to corporate social responsibility through the welfare and development of estate communities, while Ms. Anne Ranasinghe, Marketing Manager of Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC, presented the story behind Bogawantalawa Tea.

During the launch, Mr. Ayham Nasser, Regional Senior Manager, Mr. Bruce Bostwick, Business Development Director, and Mr. Husnee Thasim, Category Manager of Tamimi Markets, participated and reaffirmed Tamimi Markets’ commitment to offering its customers the finest international brands.

First Secretary (Commerce) of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh, Ms. Tashma Vithanawasam, together with Tamimi Markets Area Managers, Mr. Riyad Salamih and Mr. Yassir Ghalib, were also present on the occasion.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Riyadh

13 July 2026