During a recent visit to Sri Lanka, HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) and Alwaleed Philanthropies (AP), met with H.E. Maithripala Sirisena, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of #Sri_Lanka, at the President Secretariat where Prince Alwaleed was awarded the medal of Recognition and Appreciation by the President for HRH’s philanthropic contributions to Sri Lanka, as well as for his many achievements throughout the world in the areas of business and philanthropy. The medal was the 85th that HRH has received from various countries around the world.

Prince Alwaleed attended a meeting with Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, at the Parliament to discuss investment opportunities.

HRH also met with H.E. Mr. Ravi Karuanayake, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who accompanied HRH throughout his visit.

In concluding his visit, HRH visited the Sri Lankan Parliament and was welcomed by the Speaker of Parliament who referred to HRH as an honorable guest of the Sri Lakan people. The Sri Lankan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Mohammed Azmi, was part of HRH’s delegation.

The delegation from HRH Prince Alwaleed’s private office included Ms. Hassna Alturki, Senior Executive Manager for International Relations; Mr. Ahmed Altobaishi, Executive Assistant to HRH; Mr. Ziyad Alomair, Executive Assistant to HRH; Mr. Mohammed Alfaraj, Travel and External Affairs Manager; and Ms. Shatha Alqahtani, Assistant Manager, Travel and External Affairs Department

It is worth mentioning that KHC has investments in Sri Lanka through the management of Movenpick Colombo, in addition to the Sofitel hotel that will open soon.

In May 2016, Sri Lanka was hit by Cyclone Roanu, which caused severe floods in the area and led to substantial housing damages. The storm affected more than 1 million people, claiming the lives of 116 individuals and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Alwaleed Philanthropies granted donations to provide vital relief to victims of the disaster, through the foundation’s partnership with the UN World Food Programme, Habitat for Humanity, and International Medical Corps. In 2005, Alwaleed Philanthropies donated to the President’s Fund of Sri Lanka to alleviate poverty and advance education.

For over 37 years, Alwaleed Philanthropies has supported and initiated projects in over 124 countries regardless of gender, race or religion. It collaborates with a range of philanthropic, governmental, non-governmental and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding through education. Together with its partners, it helps build bridges for a more compassionate, tolerant and accepting world.

Founded in 1980, KHC is a publicly traded company, which was listed on Tadawul (the Saudi Stock Exchange) in 2007. Today, KHC is one of the world’s most successful and diversified business organizations with investments across 12 sectors. For over two decades, the company has been a leading player in the global hospitality industry, building shareholder value by acquiring, developing, actively asset managing and monetizing high-quality hospitality assets.