Welcome to the Sri Lankan Business Council!
The Sri Lankan Business Council in Dubai & Northern Emirates was formed in the year 1991 under the umbrella of the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai & Northern Emirates. Later it evolved into a registered Business Council under the auspices of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the year 2004.
The SLBC has grown into an organization consisting of Sri Lankan Entrepreneurs and Senior Professionals in the UAE as its Individual Members and a number of organizations interested in Sri Lankan business as its Corporate Members.
Our
History
The Sri Lankan Business Council (SLBC) in Dubai & Northern Emirates was formed in the year 1991 under the umbrella of the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai in the UAE. Later it evolved into a registered Business Council under the auspices of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the year 2004.
Our
Mission
To be your platform to connect!
Our
Members
The SLBC has grown into an organization consisting of Sri Lankan Entrepreneurs and Senior Professionals in the UAE as its Individual Members and a number of organizations are interested in Sri Lankan business as Corporate Members.
Chairman’s Message
The Sri Lankan Business Council (SLBC) consists of dynamic, intuitive and active entrepreneurs and professionals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We work closely with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and our strategic industry partners, sponsors as well as the authorities to remain relevant and responsive in this market that is dynamic and exciting in nature.
As one of the oldest business councils in the UAE, since 1991, SLBC has been facilitating and promoting trade between Sri Lanka and the UAE. Our focus has been to create opportunities for the businesses to connect with potential partners in order to accelerate their growth plans.
On the global stage, today, Dubai is a fusion of multiple cultures, where more than 190 nationalities from across the globe gather to conduct business and enjoy great living. It is a unique place for business, offering access to global markets to a business or an entrepreneur. The EXPO 2020 that just recently concluded, was a testimony to that. SLBC played an active part in supporting the Sri Lankan businesses to participate in those forums associated with this mega event to showcase Sri Lanka, connect, establish and accelerate their growth plans. With the support of our Board, coupled with the strength of our membership, we are confident that we can continue to strive and support our business community to make an indelible mark in this region.
As the new Chair of the SLBC, I am, along with the Board of Directors, committed to building on the past successes, learn from it and continue to strive to facilitate exchanges of ideas related to trade, commerce, tourism and culture.
Needless to say, we will gladly continue to assist the Sri Lankan Embassy in Abu Dhabi as well as the Consulate in Dubai in their efforts, particularly related to Trade. It has also been our belief, as the business community we do have a social responsibility towards our people. We will continue to play our part in this regard as well.
The tasks ahead are exciting, enjoyable, yet challenging. We believe it is critical to collaborate and partner with the relevant stakeholders with a view to achieving tangible results that would be mutually beneficial. With this in view, we are eagerly looking forward to hearing from the Business representatives, Professionals and Government agencies, both, here in the UAE and in Sri Lanka to understand how and where we could collaborate and partner in creating better synergies for our communities.
Looking forward to greater collaboration.
Muhammed Riza
Chairman
Sri Lankan Business Council – Dubai and the Northern Emirates
UPCOMING EVENTS
LATEST NEWS
I have been very closely associated with the SLBC of Dubai from Aug 2014 to Oct 2017 in my capacity as the Director ( Middle East/Gulf/N.Africa) attached to the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai. The SLBC has been always a tower of strength to the Consulate & the Mission by playing an active role in virtually all the social and economic events where Sri Lanka needed to be portrayed.
I am an Architect by profession and the CEO of Home Makers (Pvt) Ltd, a design and build company in Colombo, Sri Lanka. We recently initiated an Interior Design company in Dubai and registered as HM Design Services Co. in June 2022. In my initial visit to establish the company I met Mr. Suren Swaminathan, a veteran Sri Lankan Business person in UAE and invited me to join the Sri Lankan Business Council.
I became a member of this prestigious association and SLBC has opened up opportunities to meet up with fellow members in the council and to build a vast network in a short period of time. It has immensely helped me in establishing my self as well as giving me opportunities to initiate ground up work in making a brand awareness of the products and services that we provide in Sri Lanka and in UAE.
Sri Lanka Business Council in Dubai & Northern Emirates (SLBC) is the oldest formally registered Sri Lankan organization which was formed in the year 1991 under the umbrella of the Consul General of Sri Lanka to Dubai and subsequently registered under the auspices of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the year 2004 providing an active platform for entrepreneurs and professionals to promote their endeavours.
I had the opportunity to work very closely with the SLBC ever since I assumed duties as the Consul General of Sri Lanka to Dubai & Northern Emirates in October 2015 and was glad to witness the valuable initiatives undertaken by the SLBC throughout my tenure to promote broader commercial interests of the entrepreneurs and professionals.
Additionally, SLBC without hesitations joined hands with the Consulate General of Sri Lanka to Dubai & Northern Emirates to support all major initiatives undertaken to promote broader interest of Sri Lanka and her citizens living in Dubai & Northern Emirates.
The assistance extended by the SLBC was highly commendable towards Sri Lanka and her citizens in many natural disasters occurred during my tenures, spearheading offering of timely disaster recovery assistance.
While appreciating very much the commendable role that the SLBC played over the years in strengthening bilateral commercial relation between Sri Lanka and the UAE ever since its inception, I wish SLBC all the very best for its future endevours.
Lying at the hub of many shipping lanes joining the West, the Middle East, the Far East as well as Africa and Australia, Colombo has been recognised the world over as the hub port in South Asia. Colombo Dockyard is the island's leading Ship repair, Shipbuilding and Heavy Engineering facility, located inside the Port of Colombo. Shipyard operates 04 graving dry-docks with a maximum capacity of 125,000 Dwt. Colombo Dockyard was looking at expanding our operational footprint and was reaching out for a reliable partner in the UAE and found the Sri Lankan Business Council-Dubai, with its local expertise and reliable contacts as the ideal facilitator to meet our objectives. Thank you SLBC for all your guidance and due diligence carried out at a swift pace and for allowing us to successfully, conclude an effective agreement with our associates in the UAE. Wishing the SLBC team all the success in future endeavours.
