Mohamed Hussein Mohamed, the new Sri Lankan ambassador to the Kingdom, arrived to the Saudi capital on Wednesday, pledging to take Saudi-Lankan bilateral ties to new heights.

Hussein Mohamed, former Mayor of Colombo, succeeded Vadivel Krishnamoorthy, who took over duties as ambassador to the Lankan mission in Kenya on Tuesday.

Hussein Mohamed is the son of former Sri Lankan Speaker Haniffa Mohamed, a founding member of the Constituent Council of the Muslim World League in Makkah.

Hussein Mohamed, who met the country’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday in Colombo, told Arab News that the president conveyed his greetings and good wishes to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and the Saudi people.

“I am very happy, I got an opportunity to step into this holy soil as my country’s ambassador. Saudi Arabia has been a friendly country from time immemorial,” he said, adding that he is determined to improve Saudi-Lankan bilateral relations.

Prior to his departure from Colombo, Hussein Mohamed was honored with several farewell receptions including an event hosted by the National Council of Young Mens’ Muslim Association (NCYMMAs) in Colombo on Saturday.

The new ambassador said he would also concentrate on working for the welfare of the Lankan workers in the Kingdom.

The largest concentration of the Sri Lankan workforce in the region is found in the Kingdom, he said, pointing out that there are some 550,000 Lankans deployed in the Kingdom.

The ambassador-designate has also served as an elected member of the Western Provincial Council and currently serves as vice president of the Colombo Islamic Center.

During his mayoralty stint from 1989 to 1991, he also served as vice president of the Asia Pacific Union of Local Authorities.

Sri Lanka set up its embassy in Jeddah in 1983 with Dickman De Alwis as its first charge d’affaires. Subsequently in 1993, the Saudi government reciprocated with a mission in Colombo appointing Abdullah Al-Zahrani as its charge d’affaires. Later in 1985, the Lankan embassy moved its location to the capital, Riyadh.

Former ambassadors of Sri Lanka in the Kingdom include the late M.R.M. Thassim, late A.L.M. Hashim, late Cader Markar, Izzat Ahamed, Javid Yusuf, Nowfel Salih Jabir, Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, A.M.J. Sadiq, late A.A.M. Marleen, Ahmed A. Jawad and Krishnamoorthy, who departed last week.