Sri Lanka invites Saudi Arabia to set up oil refinery in Hambantota

Riyadh: Sri Lanka has invited Saudi Arabia to set up a petroleum refinery in the southern part of the island, Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran has said according to a report in Arab News.

The Central Bank Governor said that in addition to meeting Sri Lanka’s needs, such a refinery could tap markets in neighboring countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Mahendran, who has led a high-powered delegation to the Kingdom, comprising chairmen and CEOs of commercial and state banks in Colombo, ended his Saudi visit on Wednesday.

Mahendran held talks with Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) Governor Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Mubarak on Tuesday.

He said that the proposed refinery could be set up in Hambantota, some 300 miles away from Colombo. Hambantota hosts a full-fledged sea port, which could export crude and refined oil to other countries.

He said that international players such as SABIC and Saudi Aramco could easily enter this project.

Mahendran also said that Saudi construction companies could participate in infrastructure developments in the island.

To help expatriates working in the Kingdom, Mahendran said he was negotiating with the SAMA governor to enable Sri Lankans’ remittances from Saudi Arabia to reach their banks at home in 60 seconds. “SAMA has responded positively to consider opening the payment gateway to enable these services in a year or two,” he added.

Speaking about Sri Lanka, he said that a new chapter has opened under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena, who maintains inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony in the country.

Two rival parties have joined together in running the government aiming for rapid development and the unity government gives political stability and builds confidence among foreign investors, he said.

The Board of Investments has introduced a package of incentives for viable ventures, he added.

He pointed out that around 550,000 Sri Lankans working in Saudi Arabia remit some SR 10 billion annually.

“Although, we have a tiny population here compared to other countries, law-abiding Sri Lankans send their monies through official channels,” Mahendran said. This is appreciated by the host as well as their country of origin, he added.

Explaining the purpose of his visit, he said the government is interested in protecting its potential and will explore new areas of cooperation with the Kingdom.“We are exporting tea worth around $800 million to the Kingdom. This could be improved and there are several other areas where the two countries could benefit from viable projects,” he added.

Representatives from leading banks such as Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank, Commercial Bank, HNB, NDB, Amana, Seylan Bank, Sampath Bank and Deutsche Bank AG accompanied the governor.