Sri Lankan expatriates came together to celebrate their 67th Independence Day at the Sri Lankan Consulate in Jeddah on Wednesday.

Consul General Adam Bawa Uthumalebbe urged the Sri Lankan community to continue their efforts in promoting the beautiful image of their country to the Arab world and to contribute to the nation by promoting their tourism and attractive foreign investment.

“Sri Lankan migrant workers already hold a major share in the development of the country as remittances have become the number one foreign exchange earner for the country during the past years,” Uthumalebbe said in his speech.

The celebrations began with the hoisting of the flag by the consul general followed by the Sri Lankan national anthem sung by the choir of the Sri Lankan International School. A traditional chant of victory called the “Jayamangala Gatha” was then sung and the crowd observed a moment of silence for the country’s fallen heroes.

Prominent heads of the Sri Lankan Consulate, the Sri Lankan International School and a few from the community lit a traditional oil lamp to mark the beginning of the Independence Day celebrations that called for unity among all communities on the island.

“I kindly invite my fellow Sri Lankans to join hands, bury our differences, be united as Sri Lankans and strive to make ensuring an excellent public service delivery,” said Uthumalebbe.

The consul general thanked and prayed for the late King Abdullah for the unforgettable services he rendered during his era. He expressed good wishes to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and the Saudi government. “I hope the excellent bilateral relationship existing between our countries would continue at all levels,” he said.

Speeches on the country’s independence were delivered by religious personalities from all four religions of Sri Lanka, all of which conveyed the message of unity.

Independence Day speeches on behalf of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera were read out in Sinhalese, Tamil and English languages as part of the celebrations.