Saudi Arabia evacuates over 1,600 foreigners, including Sri Lankans from Sudan

Saudi Ambassador in Colombo Khalid Hamoud Alkahtani on Tuesday said that the number of citizens of friendly countries who were evacuated from Sudan by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached 1,674 and Sri Lankan nationals are among them.

The Envoy in a release said that nationals of Oman, Syria, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Mauritania, Yemen, the United States of America, Canada and Germany United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ireland, France, Netherlands, Armenia, Hungary, Sweden, Turkey, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Djibouti, Cape Verde, Congo, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Somalia, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Croatia, Nicaragua, Liberia, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Philippines, Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Chad, Bangladesh, Niger, Sri Lanka and Thailand were thus evacuated.

An infant who was among those evacuated being given special attention.

Excerpts from the release: In continuation of the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the directives of the wise leadership - may God grant them success-in evacuating its citizens and nationals of brotherly and friendly countries from the Republic of Sudan to the Kingdom, 13 Saudi citizens arrived. Jeddah, and the number of nationals of brotherly and friendly countries who were evacuated stands at 1,674.

Persons of the following nationalities (Oman, Syria, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Mauritania, Yemen, the United States of America, Canada and Germany United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ireland, France, Netherlands, Armenia, Hungary, Sweden, Turkey, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Djibouti, Cape Verde, Congo, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Somalia, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Croatia, Nicaragua, Liberia, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Philippines, Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Chad, Bangladesh, Niger, Sri Lanka and Thailand). They were transported by one of the Kingdom’s ships and the Kingdom was keen to provide all the basic needs for foreigners in preparation for facilitating their departure to their countries, thus bringing the total number of those evacuated from Sudan since then.

The evacuations of about 2,148 people began. (114 Saudi citizens, 2,034 people belonging to 62 nationalities).

Stressing that the Kingdom’s Leadership always works for the comfort of Saudi citizens in and out of the Kingdom.