RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia continues to advance diplomatic initiatives and milestones in 2026 with countries around the world, one of the fastest-developing relationships is between the Kingdom and Sri Lanka.
During his visit to Riyadh, Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Sri Lanka’s deputy minister of industry and entrepreneurship development, spoke to Arab News about the bilateral relationship and the sectors it is fostering in the coming year, spanning business cooperation and people-to-people ties.
Abeysinghe described the current relationship between the two countries as still evolving.
“Currently, I think it’s limited ties, but there are negotiations taking place on a particular investment and trade promotion act agreement … my foreign affairs minister has visited, and they have started the discussions.”
Building on developments in 2025, Abeysinghe noted that “exports from Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia have increased,” but most of the ties are through the labor market.
