Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad, held preparatory discussions with Mr. Abdul Hadi Al-Qarni, Chairman of the Saudi–Sri Lanka Business Council, on organizing a high-level Saudi business delegation to visit Sri Lanka to participate in the forthcoming premier international trade exhibition, Sri Lanka Expo 2027, scheduled to be held from 14 to 17 January 2027 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo.
Welcoming the Chairman of the Saudi–Sri Lanka Business Council, Abdul Hadi Al-Qarni, to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad briefed him on the preparations being made for Sri Lanka Expo 2027, which is being organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development. He noted that the Expo will bring together hundreds of Sri Lankan exporters, international buyers, investors, policymakers, and business leaders from around the world. The event will showcase Sri Lanka’s diverse export sectors, promote trade and investment opportunities, facilitate business-to-business (B2B) networking, and further strengthen the country’s position as a competitive and reliable global trading partner.
The Ambassador highlighted that the participation of a high-level Saudi business delegation would provide Saudi business leaders and investors with a valuable opportunity to explore Sri Lanka’s trade and investment potential, establish direct business-to-business linkages, and identify new partnerships across a wide range of sectors, including food and beverages, agriculture, fisheries, tea, spices, apparel, tourism, ICT, logistics, and manufacturing.
In response, the Chairman of the Saudi–Sri Lanka Business Council appreciated the Ambassador’s briefing on this important trade event and expressed the Council’s keen interest in supporting and promoting Sri Lanka Expo 2027 among the Saudi business community. He assured the Ambassador of the Council’s fullest support in mobilizing and facilitating a high-level Saudi business delegation to participate in Sri Lanka Expo 2027 and to explore the diverse investment and business opportunities available in Sri Lanka.
Both sides agreed to work closely together to engage with the Saudi Chambers and the wider Saudi business community with a view to further strengthening bilateral economic relations and creating new avenues for trade, investment, and strategic partnerships between the business communities of Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The first-ever Saudi–Sri Lanka Joint Business Council was officially launched on 11 November 2025 at the headquarters of the Federation of Saudi Chambers in Riyadh during the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka, Vijitha Herath. The Council was established through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and the Federation of Saudi Chambers (FSC).
The First Secretary/Commerce at the Embassy Tashma Vithanawasam participated during the discussion.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Riyadh
30 July 2026
