On an invitation extended by the Safari Group of Companies in Qatar, a leader in the commercial sector in Qatar, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar, H.E. Sithara Khan, held a meeting with the Managing Director of Safari Group, Mr. Shaheen Backer Madappat in Doha recently. Mr. Dharmasiri Wijewardana Minister Counsellor of the Embassy was also associated with the meeting.
During the discussion, Ambassador Khan briefed the Managing Director of Safari Group on the current economic developments in Sri Lanka and highlighted emerging opportunities for trade, investment and collaborations. She extended an invitation to the company to visit Sri Lanka and participate in upcoming trade exhibitions to explore a wide range of Sri Lankan products. In addition, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador also encouraged more recruitment of staff to the company from Sri Lanka while also discussing the welfare of Sri Lankan employees working in the company.
The Managing Director, Mr. Shaheen stated that they were importing products from Sri Lanka and expressed strong interest in expanding the product range from Sri Lanka. He agreed to nominate company representatives for immediate follow-up discussions with the Embassy. He also requested the Embassy’s support and facilitation to streamline future recruitments from Sri Lanka to enable the company to provide more job opportunities to Sri Lankans to work in Qatar.
Thereafter, a follow-up meeting was held with the Minister Counsellor at the Embassy with key representatives from the Safari Group together with the participation of Mr. Ahamed Yoonus, Vice President of the Qatar–Sri Lanka Business Council.
During the discussion, the Safari Group expressed interest in participating in the upcoming ‘Pro Food Pro Pack’ exhibition scheduled for August 2025 in Sri Lanka, as well as in exploring possible opportunities with potential buyers for Sri Lankan apparel products. Both parties also agreed to jointly organize a “Sri Lankan Food Festival Week” in November 2025, in collaboration with the Qatar–Sri Lanka Business Council.