RIYADH: The Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh shifted to a new location at Ahmed Abdul Gafoor Al-Attar Street, Sulaimaniyah, on Thursday.

"There was an urgent need for a more spacious area for the embassy because of the growing Lankan population in the Kingdom," Ambassador Mohammed Hussein Mohamed said after unfurling the country's flag on the new premises.

A large number of people, including airline officials, bankers businessmen, philanthropists and community members were present on the occasion.

The envoy said that the new complex would help citizens and residents to get the embassy services in a more conducive environment with comfort and convenience. It has three large halls, one of them could be reserved for recreational and cultural activities for the Lankan expatriates, he said.

Sri Lankan expatriates in the capital have praised the envoy through greetings on the social media. Around 550,000 out of the 1.5 Sri Lankans in the Middle East live in the Kingdom and on an average 8,000 workers arrive in Saudi Arabia every month.

Mohammed said that Sri Lanka has signed a comprehensive agreement with the Kingdom early this year to give a fair deal to sponsors as well as domestic workers. "The agreement protects both the employer and the employee. It will pave the way for more workers coming in to the Kingdom since it provides them adequate security."