A senior diplomat from the Sri Lankan mission in Jeddah urged his community members to work in unity to project the right image of their motherland in the holy city of Madinah.

Sri Lankan Consul General Adambawa Uthumalebbe was speaking at the Sri Lankan Bachelor’s Day held in Madinah last week.

The event was organized by the Sri Lankan Expatriates Society (SLES) in Madinah to provide recreational entertainment for the bachelors working in the city.

The consul general, who described the workers as ambassadors of their own country, insisted that their performance in the Kingdom would reflect the image of the island. Therefore, he added that the community members should work together and be loyal to their sponsors in their respective workplaces.

He stressed that the SLES in Madinah would look after the interests of the community members in that part of the Kingdom. “My doors are open to every Sri Lankan living in the western region for services required from my consulate,” he told the members of the community.

In his brief speech, SLES President Hassan Rauf thanked the consulate for regularly offering its consular services to the members of the community living in Madinah. He said the SLES would treat all members of the Sri Lankan community equally, irrespective of their positions in their workplaces. "Those of us who are working in Madinah are privileged, since we are working for the Haj and Umrah pilgrims that visit the Prophet’s Mosque,” Hassan said.

Hassan, who is the general manager of Dallah Taibah Hotel in Madinah, was elected SLES president in March this year.

The recreational games during the celebrations included tug of war, sack race, crumbling ball, throwing eggs, search for the coin, balloon blasting and eating apples.

At the end of the program, SLES secretary Fazal Ahmed proposed the vote of thanks.