The Saudi Arabian government has offered Muslim members of the Sri Lankan Tri-Forces a sponsored opportunity to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage this year (2024) for the first time in history, according to the Defence Ministry.
This offer follows a request made by State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon to the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Khalid Hamoud Alkahtani. In response, the Saudi Ambassador arranged for five special quotas from the Saudi government, the statement said.
For the first time, five special sponsored quotas were made available for Muslim Tri-Forces personnel this year.
State Minister Tennakoon met Ambassador Alkahtani at his office in Colombo on Friday (June 7) to thank him and the Saudi government for their magnanimity and earnest response in providing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Muslim members of the Tri-Forces.
The Saudi Ambassador thanked State Minister Tennakoon for making the request and said he would personally be involved in increasing the number of quotas for defence personnel in the coming years.
