RIYADH, 27 April 2008 — The new Saudi Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Abdul Aziz Al-Jammaz, began work at the Saudi Embassy in Colombo.
Al-Jammaz succeeds the former Saudi ambassador in Colombo Mohammed Mahmud Al-Ali, who went to Pretoria in December as the Kingdom’s new ambassador to South Africa. Al-Jammaz will also be accredited to the Maldives during his tenure in Colombo.
Al-Jammaz said he wants to project a new image of the Kingdom by highlighting the contributions it has made in strengthening bilateral relations. “The Kingdom is home to 600,000 Sri Lankans. They have earned a good reputation for their hard work and perseverance, and they have contribute a great deal to the nation’s development,” he said, adding that the wheels of justice is fair to all living in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking about his priorities, Al-Jammaz said he hopes to shift the present Saudi mission to a better location in Colombo to improve services. “The mission will soon be moved to a place which is easily accessible,” the ambassador said, adding the mission needs a larger space in view of the extended services offered to the increasing number of Sri Lankans seeking consular assistance.
Al-Jammaz, a graduate in geography from the Imam Muhammad University in Riyadh, has been working in the Kingdom’s foreign service for 27 years. He has served in Accra, London, Brussels and Amman.
