Riyadh: Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad undertook his first official visit to Sri Lanka International School in Riyadh (SLISR) and officially launched the School Alumni Association, a vital source for the school development and networking.

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad, who is also the patron of the SLISR, engaged with the members of the Alumni Association who attended the event physically as well as virtually from around the globe. He emphasized the importance of reconnecting the alumni and ensuring the continuity of its functions in a regular and well-structured manner for the development of the school and to support its students by way of career guidance. The SLISR has produced thousands of students who are studying or working in different parts of the world.

During the visit, the Ambassador also planted a tree sapling on the school premises as a symbolic gesture to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diploma
tic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. This act aligns with the Saudi Green Initiative of growing 10 billion trees, a project spearheaded by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Addressing the students and staff of the school, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad pointed out that the SLISR had been serving as a beacon of learning to the children of Sri Lanka’s migrant workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who comprise one of the vital components of the bilateral relations between the two countries. He also commended the substantial services rendered by the school for more than three decades and emphasized the need to impart quality education to the children while keeping up with the global changes and requirements that prioritize creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship with a view to empowering the future generation.

The principal of the SLISR, Rukshan Razak, along with academic staff and the children of the school, extended a warm welcome to the
Ambassador and his wife, presenting a memento to mark his first visit to the school. Minister/Head of Chancery of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh, Mohamed Anas, accompanied the Ambassador during the visit.

Established on 17 of September 1988, Sri Lanka International School in Riyadh is the first Sri Lankan international school founded off the shores of Sri Lanka.