An official meeting was held recently between the Deputy Minister of Defence, Retired Major General Aruna Jayasekara, who was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia to participate in the World Defence Show – 2026, and the Saudi Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Fahad Al Ghofaily, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.
Bilateral discussions have been held between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka on enhancing naval ties.
The statement said that the discussions also aimed to exchange operational knowledge and practical experience between the armed forces of the two countries.
The discussions focused on expanding training opportunities for Sri Lankan Armed Forces personnel with the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as obtaining the necessary support to enhance the surveillance capabilities and deep-sea operational capacity of the Sri Lanka Navy.
The primary objective of these capacity building initiatives is to combat illegal maritime activities and successfully address emerging security challenges.