Sri Lanka tourism finds new ways to cater to visitors from Middle East

Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle, on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast, Oct. 28, 2017. (Wikimedia Commons)
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Updated 09 March 2023
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Sri Lanka tourism finds new ways to cater to visitors from Middle East

  • Riyadh’s envoy in Colombo says Sri Lanka is an ‘ideal destination’ for Saudi tourists
  • Upcoming luxury resort in hilly central Sri Lanka designed to cater to Middle Eastern travelers

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s tourism is trying to cater more to visitors from the Middle East countries, with special initiatives already underway, officials and industry players said on Thursday, as they seek to revive the crisis-hit country’s hospitality sector.

Tourism has traditionally been one of the key sources of Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves and in 2018 earned $4.4 billion, contributing 5.6 percent to the gross domestic product. But this dropped to just 0.8 percent in 2020, as the country received a major blow when the outbreak of COVID-19 halted global travel.

To rebound from the pandemic, Sri Lanka declared 2022 the “Visit Sri Lanka Year” to prioritize the tourism industry in general, but as the country sank deeper into its worst economic crisis in history, it began to realign its strategies and identified the Middle East among its top potential markets, pinning hopes on Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and especially Saudi Arabia.

“The Arabian market is a key market segment in Sri Lanka tourism,” Madubhani Perera, marketing director at the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, told Arab News.

She said it was of paramount importance now to build up confidence among visitors from the region so that they would feel culturally comfortable in Sri Lanka and, as industry players are trying to tap into the market, all future promotion campaigns should focus on “safety and respect for their culture.”

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Colombo Khalid Hamoud Nasser Al-Dasan Al-Qahtani has also recognized Sri Lanka’s potential in appealing to Arab visitors, provided their comfort in traveling is taken care of.

“Sri Lanka is an ideal destination for tourists from the Kingdom…To make it more attractive, there must be an Arab-friendly environment,” he told Arab News.

One such initiative to boost the country’s popularity among travelers from the Gulf is now spearheaded by Sri Lankan hospitality veteran Fazal Mohammed, CEO of Al-Araf Hotels and Resorts, who has worked for 30 years in the Saudi hospitality sector, serving in managerial positions in brands such as Fairmont and Raffles in Makkah and Al-Faisaliah Hotel — one of the finest five-star hotels in Riyadh.

Mohammed’s most recent project is Horton Heights, a super luxury hotel located in the scenic hill city of Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka’s Central Province, which is expected to open its doors to guests this winter.

“The project is designed for high-end tourists and looks to cater to leisure travelers from the Middle East region,” Mohammed told Arab News, adding that it is designed to appeal to leisure travelers from the Middle East, with staff proficient in the Arabic language, high levels of privacy and fine dining experiences.

“Emphasis is also taken to allow the Middle Eastern traveler to enjoy his or her holiday in the island nation and ensure his daily lifestyle and habits are not disrupted,” he said. This means that “rooms and facilities will be made available to carry on daily prayers,” and halal food options will be available.

For Mohammed, Sri Lanka, with its culture and accessibility can easily be an attractive destination for Arab tourists, especially from the Gulf.

“Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, including its tropical beaches, lush forests and stunning mountains, is another major draw for Arab tourists,” he said.

“Many visitors are looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy a relaxing vacation in a beautiful setting. Further, the island nation is also becoming increasingly popular among adventure tourists.”

The island nation’s efforts in drawing more Arab visitors could not only help revive the industry but also make it contribute again to the economy, which needs a major boost.

“The potential for Arab visitors in Sri Lanka tourism is significant, with opportunities for increased revenue, job creation and sustainable growth in the industry,” Mohammed said.

“By catering to the specific needs and preferences of Arab tourists, Sri Lanka can establish itself as a top destination in the region and attract a growing number of visitors from this market.”

Geographic proximity and good weather are other key enablers in doing so. Sri Lanka is easily accessible from the Middle East due to its proximity, and there are many direct flights from the region.

“One of the key advantages that Sri Lanka has is that the country is geographically located to attract tourists throughout the year,” said M. Rizmi Reyal, travel operator and former president of the Sri Lankan chapter of the International Air Transport Association.

“Sri Lanka is the perfect venue to attract Middle Eastern tourists. We are anticipating Arab tourists to visit Sri Lanka this year, after a lapse of four years.”


Trump to put 25 percent tariffs on Japan and South Korea, new import taxes on 12 other nations.

Updated 7 sec ago
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Trump to put 25 percent tariffs on Japan and South Korea, new import taxes on 12 other nations.

  • Trump has also said on social media that countries aligned with the policy goals of BRICS, an organization composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE, would face additional tariffs of 10 percent

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Monday set a 25 percent tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as new tariff rates on a dozen other nations that would go into effect on Aug. 1.
Trump provided notice by posting letters on Truth Social that were addressed to the leaders of the various countries. The letters warned them to not retaliate by increasing their own import taxes, or else the Trump administration would further increase tariffs.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25 percent that we charge,” Trump wrote in the letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
The letters were not the final word from Trump on tariffs, so much as another episode in a global economic drama in which he has placed himself at the center. His moves have raised fears that economic growth would slow to a trickle, if not make the US and other nations more vulnerable to a recession. But Trump is confident that tariffs are necessary to bring back domestic manufacturing and fund the tax cuts he signed into law last Friday.
He mixed his sense of aggression with a willingness to still negotiate, signaling the likelihood that the drama and uncertainty would continue and that few things are ever final with Trump.
Imports from Myanmar and Laos would be taxed at 40 percent, Cambodia and Thailand at 36 percent, Serbia and Bangladesh at 35 percent, Indonesia at 32 percent, South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 30 percent and Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Tunisia at 25 percent.
Trump placed the word “only” before revealing the rate in his letters to the foreign leaders, implying that he was being generous with his tariffs. But the letters generally followed a standard format, so much so that the one to Bosnia and Herzegovina initially addressed its woman leader, Željka Cvijanović, as “Mr. President.” Trump later posted a corrected letter.
Trade talks have yet to deliver several deals
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump was by setting the rates himself creating “tailor-made trade plans for each and every country on this planet and that’s what this administration continues to be focused on.”
Following a now well-worn pattern, Trump plans to continue sharing the letters sent to his counterparts on social media and then mail them the documents, a stark departure from the more formal practices of all his predecessors when negotiating trade agreements.
The letters are not agreed-to settlements but Trump’s own choice on rates, a sign that the closed-door talks with foreign delegations failed to produce satisfactory results for either side.
Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute who formerly worked in the office of the US Trade Representative, said the tariff hikes on Japan and South Korea were “unfortunate.”
“Both have been close partners on economic security matters and have a lot to offer the United States on priority matters like shipbuilding, semiconductors, critical minerals and energy cooperation,” Cutler said.
Trump still has outstanding differences on trade with the European Union and India, among other trading partners. Tougher talks with China are on a longer time horizon in which imports from that nation are being taxed at 55 percent.
The office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that the tariff rates announced by Trump mischaracterized the trade relationship with the US, but it would “continue with its diplomatic efforts toward a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States” after having proposed a trade framework on May 20.
Higher tariffs prompt market worries, more uncertainty ahead
The S&P 500 stock index was down 0.8 percent in Monday trading, while the interest charged on 10-year US Treasury notes had increased to nearly 4.39 percent, a figure that could translate into elevated rates for mortgages and auto loans.
Trump has declared an economic emergency to unilaterally impose the taxes, suggesting they are remedies for past trade deficits even though many US consumers have come to value autos, electronics and other goods from Japan and South Korea. The constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs under normal circumstances, though tariffs can also result from executive branch investigations regarding national security risks.
Trump’s ability to impose tariffs through an economic emergency is under legal challenge, with the administration appealing a May ruling by the US Court of International Trade that said the president exceeded his authority.
It’s unclear what he gains strategically against China — another stated reason for the tariffs — by challenging two crucial partners in Asia, Japan and South Korea, that could counter China’s economic heft.
“These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country,” Trump wrote in both letters.
Because the new tariff rates go into effect in roughly three weeks, Trump is setting up a period of possibly tempestuous talks among the US and its trade partners to reach new frameworks.
“I don’t see a huge escalation or a walk back — it’s just more of the same,” said Scott Lincicome, a vice president at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank
Trump initially roiled the financial markets by announcing tariff rates on dozens of countries, including 24 percent on Japan and 25 percent on South Korea. In order to calm the markets, Trump unveiled a 90-day negotiating period during which goods from most countries were taxed at a baseline 10 percent. So far, the rates in the letters sent by Trump either match his April 2 tariffs or are generally close to them.
The 90-day negotiating period technically ends on Wednesday, even as multiple administration officials suggested the three-week period before implementation is akin to overtime for additional talks that could change the rates. Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday to delay the official tariff increases until Aug. 1, Leavitt said.
Congressionally approved Trade agreements historically have sometimes taken years to negotiate because of the complexity.
Administration officials have said Trump is relying on tariff revenues to help offset the tax cuts he signed into law on July 4, a move that could shift a greater share of the federal tax burden onto the middle class and poor as importers would likely pass along much of the cost of the tariffs. Trump has warned major retailers such as Walmart to simply “eat” the higher costs, instead of increasing prices in ways that could intensify inflation.
Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at The Atlantic Council, said that a three-week delay in imposing the tariffs was unlikely sufficient for meaningful talks to take place.
“I take it as a signal that he is serious about most of these tariffs and it’s not all a negotiating posture,” Lipsky said.
Trade gaps persist, more tariff hikes are possible
Trump’s team promised 90 deals in 90 days, but his negotiations so far have produced only two trade frameworks.
His outline of a deal with Vietnam was clearly designed to box out China from routing its America-bound goods through that country, by doubling the 20 percent tariff charged on Vietnamese imports on anything traded transnationally.
The quotas in the signed United Kingdom framework would spare that nation from the higher tariff rates being charged on steel, aluminum and autos, though British goods would generally face a 10 percent tariff.
The United States ran a $69.4 billion trade imbalance in goods with Japan in 2024 and a $66 billion imbalance with South Korea, according to the Census Bureau. The trade deficits are the differences between what the US exports to a country relative to what it imports.
According to Trump’s letters, autos would be tariffed separately at the standard 25 percent worldwide, while steel and aluminum imports would be taxed on 50 percent.
This is not the first time that Trump has tangled with Japan and South Korea on trade — and the new tariffs suggest his past deals made during his first term failed to deliver on his administration’s own hype.
In 2018, during Trump’s first term, his administration celebrated a revamped trade agreement with South Korea as a major win. And in 2019, Trump signed a limited agreement with Japan on agricultural products and digital trade that at the time he called a “huge victory for America’s farmers, ranchers and growers.”
Trump has also said on social media that countries aligned with the policy goals of BRICS, an organization composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, would face additional tariffs of 10 percent.
 

 


UN adopts resolution on Afghanistan’s Taliban rule over US objections

Updated 58 min 30 sec ago
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UN adopts resolution on Afghanistan’s Taliban rule over US objections

  • Since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures, banning women from public places and girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade

UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution Monday over US objections calling on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organizations.
The 11-page resolution also emphasizes “the importance of creating opportunities for economic recovery, development and prosperity in Afghanistan,” and urges donors to address the country’s dire humanitarian and economic crisis.
The resolution is not legally binding but is seen as a reflection of world opinion. The vote was 116 in favor, with two — the United States and close ally Israel — opposed and 12 abstentions, including Russia, China, India and Iran.
Since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures, banning women from public places and girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade. Last week, Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’s government.
Germany’s UN Ambassador Antje Leendertse, whose country sponsored the resolution, told the assembly before the vote that her country and many others remain gravely concerned about the dire human rights situation in Afghanistan, especially the Taliban’s “near-total erasure” of the rights of women and girls.
The core message of the resolution, she said, is to tell Afghan mothers holding sick and underfed children or mourning victims of terrorist attacks, as well as the millions of Afghan women and girls locked up at home, that they have not been forgotten.
US minister-counselor Jonathan Shrier was critical of the resolution, which he said rewards “the Taliban’s failure with more engagement and more resources.” He said the Trump administration doubts they will ever pursue policies “in accordance with the expectations of the international community.”
“For decades we shouldered the burden of supporting the Afghan people with time, money and, most important, American lives,” he said. “It is the time for the Taliban to step up. The United States will no longer enable their heinous behavior.”
Last month, the Trump administration banned Afghans hoping to resettle in the US permanently and those seeking to come temporarily, with exceptions.
The resolution expresses appreciation to governments hosting Afghan refugees, singling out the two countries that have taken the most: Iran and Pakistan. Shrier also objected to this, accusing Iran of executing Afghans “at an alarming rate without due process” and forcibly conscripting Afghans into its militias.
While the resolution notes improvements in Afghanistan’s overall security situation, it reiterates concern about attacks by Al-Qaeda and Daesh militants and their affiliates. It calls upon Afghanistan “to take active measures to tackle, dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organizations equally and without discrimination.”
The General Assembly also encouraged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a coordinator to facilitate “a more coherent, coordinated and structured approach” to its international engagements on Afghanistan.


Epstein died by suicide, did not have ‘client list’: FBI and Justice Department say

Updated 07 July 2025
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Epstein died by suicide, did not have ‘client list’: FBI and Justice Department say

  • A joint memorandum by the FBI and Justice Department on Monday have debunked notable conspiracy theories about Epstein
  • The disgraced US financier died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking

WASHINGTON: Jeffrey Epstein was not murdered, did not blackmail prominent figures and did not keep a “client list,” the FBI and Justice Department said Monday, debunking notable conspiracy theories about the disgraced US financier.
The conclusions came after an “exhaustive review” of the evidence amassed against Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking, the agencies said in a joint memorandum.
Six years later, questions continue to swirl around Epstein’s life and death and the multi-millionaire hedge fund manager’s connections to wealthy and powerful individuals.
The memo, first reported by Axios, squarely rejected one of the leading conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein — that he did not commit suicide but was murdered while being held in jail.
“After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell,” it said.
Video footage from the area where he was being held did not show anyone entering or attempting to enter his cell from the time at night when he was locked in till when his body was found the next morning, it said.
Extensive digital and physical searches turned up a large volume of images and videos of Epstein’s victims, many of them underage girls, the memo said.
“This review confirmed that Epstein harmed over one thousand victims,” it said, but did not reveal any illegal wrongdoing by “third-parties.”
“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” the memo said. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions.”
Epstein’s former assistant, Ghislaine Maxwell, is the only former associate of his who has been criminally charged in connection with his activities.
Maxwell, the daughter of British media baron Robert Maxwell, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in New York in 2021 of child sex trafficking and other crimes.
Among those with connections to Epstein was Britain’s Prince Andrew, who settled a US civil case in February 2022 brought by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed he sexually assaulted her when she was 17.
Giuffre, who accused Epstein of using her as a sex slave, committed suicide at her home in Australia in April.
Billionaire Elon Musk accused President Donald Trump on X last month of being in the “Epstein files” after the pair had a falling out, but he later deleted his posts.
Trump was named in a trove of depositions and statements linked to Epstein that were unsealed by a New York judge in early 2024, but the president has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Supporters on the conspiratorial end of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base allege that Epstein’s associates had their roles in his crimes covered up by government officials and others.
They point the finger at Democrats and Hollywood celebrities, although not at Trump himself.
Prior to the release of the memo, Trump’s FBI director, Kash Patel, and the FBI’s deputy director, Dan Bongino, had been among the most prominent peddlers of conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein.


Lula says BRICS do not want ‘emperor’ after Trump threat

Updated 07 July 2025
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Lula says BRICS do not want ‘emperor’ after Trump threat

  • Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: ‘We are sovereign nations. We don’t want an emperor’

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s president said Monday that emerging BRICS economies did not want to live under an “emperor,” after Donald Trump declared a 10 percent tariffs hike on members for their allegedly anti-American policies.
“We are sovereign nations,” Lula said as he ended a two day summit of 11 nations that include US allies and foes alike. “We don’t want an emperor.”


Somalia’s army and Al-Shabab clash over strategic town

Updated 07 July 2025
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Somalia’s army and Al-Shabab clash over strategic town

  • The official Somali news agency Sonna said the attack had been prevented, and claimed “several militants were killed during the fighting.” There were no further details

MOGADISHU: Fighting was ongoing between Somalia’s armed forces and the Al-Shabab group over a strategic town in the country’s central region, a local militia commander and elder said on Monday.
Growing attacks by the Al-Qaeda-linked group, including one on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy, are fueling concerns of an extremist resurgence in the Horn of Africa nation after the militants were forced back in recent years.
Al-Shabab militants attacked Moqokori, roughly 300 km north of the capital, Mogadishu, with “vehicles loaded with explosives and hundreds of fighters,” local militia commander Abdulahi Adan said.
The town’s militia had “tactically retreated,” he said, but added that “there is still ongoing sporadic fighting in the area, so that this is not a complete takeover.”
Yusuf Mohamed, an elder in the nearby town of Mahas, said “several wounded soldiers and community militia fighters were brought to Mahas for treatment.”
Moqokori is strategically located as a gateway to several other major towns in the central Hiraan region.
The town has long been contested, with Al-Shabab seizing it in 2016 and last holding it briefly in 2018.
The official Somali news agency Sonna said the attack had been prevented, and claimed “several militants were killed during the fighting.” There were no further details.
It comes only months after Al-Shabab took the town of Adan Yabaal, also in the Hiraan region, and which was used as a base by Somali military commanders.
More than 10,000 soldiers from the African Union Stabilization Mission in Somalia or AUSSOM, are present in the country, but this has not prevented Al-Shabab from continuing to carry out attacks.
At the end of June, at least seven Ugandan soldiers were killed during clashes with Al-Shabab in a town in the Lower Shabelle region.