Sri Lanka’s Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake met with Eng. Suliman bin Khalid Al-Mazroua, President of the Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI), on the sidelines of the 2nd Sustainable Maritime Industry Conference in Jeddah.
Talks focused on strengthening maritime and port cooperation between the two countries, including strategic collaboration between key ports in Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
Minister Rathnayake highlighted Sri Lanka’s political stability and economic progress, stressing the importance of maritime connectivity across shipping routes linking South Asia and the Middle East. He also invited Saudi investment in Sri Lanka’s port and maritime sectors.
The two sides agreed to explore cooperation in seafarer training and to enhance collaboration within international platforms such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Sri Lanka’s delegation included Ambassador Ameer Ajwad and senior ministry officials, while MAWANI was represented by its president, vice president, and senior officials. (Newswire)