Sri Lankan Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen receives a memento from Asharqia board member Abdul Hakim Al-Ammar. The chamber's Secretary General Abdulrahman A. Al Wabel is also seen. — Courtesy photo Saudi Gazette Report DAMMAM — Sri Lanka is fast becoming the most attractive tourist destination in southeast Asia, according to the country's minister of industry and commerce. The number of tourists from the Gulf region, particularly Saudi Arabia, has increased significantly in recent years, said Rishad Bathiudeen at a meeting in the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Asharqia) on Sunday. In 2013, over 24,000 Saudis visited Sri Lanka, compared to 19,000 the previous year. Sri Lanka is expecting to host 2.5 million tourists in 2016 from all over the world. The country will organize a series of trade, investment and tourism promotion roadshows in Saudi Arabia in October this year, he said. The Lankan minister, who was addressing a group of Saudi businessmen at the chamber, noted these roadshows are to take place in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah and will aim to strengthen bilateral trade and cultural relations. Abdul Hakim Al-Ammar, board member of Asharqia Chamber, said it was important to organize catalog shows in order to market Sri Lankan products in the Kingdom. Bathiudeen invited Saudi firms to invest in tourism and other construction projects in Sri Lanka since the country is now rebuilding itself. "Development of tourism facilities such as hotels, motels, resorts and recreation centers are considered to be the most profitable projects following the announcement of a new package of incentives to foreign investors by the government," he noted. The Lankan minister noted that trade exchanges did not reach satisfactory levels in the past between the two countries due to prolonged violence in Sri Lanka. "Now that is over, we are rebuilding our country and concentrating on expanding relations with our foreign trade and investment partners," he said. He expressed confidence that trade ties with Saudi Arabia would improve noticeably in years to come. Also present at the meeting were the chamber's Secretary General Abdulrahman A. Al-Wabel and Vadivel Krishnamoorthy, Sri Lanka's ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
