Governor of the Aseer Region, HRH Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, received the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad, on 11 August 2026 at the Aseer Governorate in Abha.
During the meeting, both sides explored avenues for strengthening cooperation between Sri Lanka and the Aseer Region, particularly in the areas of tourism, investment, foreign employment and community engagement. The discussions focused on areas with significant potential for cooperation between Sri Lanka and the Aseer Region, with a view to establishing mutually beneficial partnerships by drawing on their respective strengths, experiences and expertise.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad highlighted Sri Lanka’s potential to position itself as a knowledge and skills partner in the tourism and hospitality sectors, including through training and professional exchanges in community-based tourism and wellness tourism, as well as the provision of skilled manpower for the hospitality and construction sectors.
The Ambassador also proposed cooperation in the context of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), within the framework of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) spearheaded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, of which Sri Lanka is a regional member. In this regard, opportunities for cooperation in areas such as environmental sustainability, tree planting, horticulture and climate-resilient initiatives were also highlighted.
While extending a warm welcome to Ambassador Ameer Ajwad to the Aseer Region, Governor Prince Turki bin Talal underscored the shared interests of the two sides and facilitated follow-up discussions between the Ambassador and the Aseer Region Development Authority to identify specific areas for collaboration.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared interest in developing stronger Sri Lanka–Aseer partnerships in tourism, investment, skills development, community participation, environmental sustainability and people-to-people engagement for mutual benefit, contributing to the broader objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and Sri Lanka’s economic and tourism development priorities.
Both sides expressed their readiness to maintain close communication and explore practical initiatives that could further strengthen the partnership between Sri Lanka and the Aseer Region.
The development of the Aseer Region is anchored in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives, positioning Aseer as a premier year-round tourism destination. The development approach focuses on transforming the region into a global hub for eco-tourism, adventure tourism and cultural experiences, while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability and aligning with the Saudi Green Initiative through expanded afforestation, environmental conservation and climate-resilient development projects.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Riyadh
16 August 2026
