President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, along with his delegation, arrived at Dubai International Airport yesterday afternoon (10) to participate in the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2025, which is scheduled to take place from February 11 to 13 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Upon arrival, the delegation, including the President, was warmly welcomed by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and other state officials.
Also present at the reception were Sri Lankan Embassy to the United Arab Emirates Charge d’ Affaires Thakshila Arnolda and Consul General of Sri Lanka to Dubai and the Northern Emirates Alexi Gunasekera, along with representatives from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Dubai.
President Dissanayake was scheduled to meet with Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Chairman of the Master Investment Group and the ruler’s representative for Ras Al Khaimah yesterday afternoon.
During this meeting, discussions will focus on strengthening economic and investment cooperation between Sri Lanka and the UAE.
Following the said discussion, the President is expected to attend the ‘TIME 100 Gala Dinner’ at the renowned Museum of the Future in Dubai.
During this visit, President Dissanayake is scheduled to address the 2025 World Governments Summit in Dubai.
The primary objective of the World Governments Summit is to foster a global dialogue by bringing together world leaders in a single forum to discuss futuristic approaches, technological innovations, and other key topics. The summit serves as a platform for nations to exchange knowledge on current global challenges, emerging trends, and new opportunities. Representatives from over 150 countries and more than 4,000 participants are expected to attend the event.
In addition to attending the summit, President Dissanayake is set to hold bilateral discussions with Heads of State and Government leaders from several participating countries.
A bilateral meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is also scheduled, with the Sri Lankan Government anticipating enhanced cooperation between the two nations across multiple sectors.
Furthermore, during his visit, President Dissanayake is expected to meet with UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
To attract investments to Sri Lanka, President Dissanayake will engage in discussions with top executives from leading global corporations in sectors such as Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), energy, tourism, finance and media.
Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath is accompanying the President on this visit.
Sri Lanka Police have launched an investigation into a video going viral on social media, which depicts a female tuition teacher being escorted by police motorcycles and vehicles to an event organized by her.
Police Media Spokesperson SSP Buddhika Manathunga confirmed that the individual in question is a private tuition teacher who conducts classes for students preparing for the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination.
Addressing the controversy, SSP Manathunga explained that the Sri Lanka Police may provide officers and vehicles for specific public affairs — such as for filming a movie — but only after a thorough intelligence review of the request and its context, including the script.
He further clarified that police officers may also be deployed for public events such as musical shows or ticketed functions, but this is permitted only upon payment of a required fee.
In this particular case, the teacher is reported to have requested police support, claiming it was needed for a ceremony honoring students who had successfully passed the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination. The event was said to involve nearly 8,000 students and 35,000 parents.
However, preliminary investigations have revealed that the teacher may have used the police escort to boost her personal image, raising serious concerns about the misuse of state resources.
Police have since launched an inquiry into how the vehicles and officers were allocated for the event, and whether any police personnel were complicit in the unauthorized use of official resources, SSP Manathunga said.
According to reports, the SriLankan Airlines’ management has decided to immediately call up retired cabin crew members to service, following the ‘work to rule’ campaign launched by the Cabin Crew Members Association.
The SriLankan Airlines Cabin Crew Members Association launched a ‘work to rule’ campaign in April, citing several demands, including the reallocation of their onboard meal allowance.
In this backdrop, the national carrier is said to be operating with a reduced number of cabin crew which was further affected by the recent retirement of a significant number of experienced senior staff.
The staff were retired stating that individuals over the age of 60 would no longer be retained.
Efforts to extend the retirement age had been unsuccessful.
Even though they had directed a formal request to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Dec. 12, 2024, no response was received, reports add.