Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Sri Lanka targets UAE, Saudi Arabia in global tea promotion campaign

Sri Lanka targets UAE, Saudi Arabia in global tea promotion campaign

Sri Lanka’s tea industry is planning a global promotional campaign targeting its main export destinations, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as the crisis-hit country looks to attract additional foreign exchange.
The industry is famous for Ceylon tea — which refers to the island’s colonial name — and it is one of the country’s biggest exports. Revenue from tea exports stood at around $1.26 billion last year. This year the target is $1.4 billion.

The foreign exchange the industry generates is badly needed by the island nation of 22 million people, which has been gripped by a deep financial crisis since early 2022.

The Middle East and North Africa region is a top export market for the product, comprising more than half of Sri Lanka’s tea exports in 2022.

Pavithri Peiris, Sri Lanka Tea Board’s promotion director, told Arab News on Wednesday that Ceylon tea was highly valued in the region and preparations for its global promotion project were now in full swing ahead of the launch.

She said: “A digital-based PR campaign is set out to be launched in March 2023... This campaign will be online in 20 countries, including KSA and UAE.

“The low-grown teas in Sri Lanka are known to Middle Eastern tea consumers for (their) superior leaf appearance.”

The UAE is the largest destination in the MENA region and the third-largest market overall for Ceylon tea exports. It is the main hub for the product, Peiris said, where the buyers re-pack and distribute it to other countries in the region.

However, to be successful in reaching its targets, the Sri Lankan tea industry needs to shore up production output after lower-than-expected harvests last year following a controversial temporary ban on fertilizers introduced by the previous government in 2021.

Though the ban was lifted a few months later, tea producers say its impact and a labor shortage affected last year’s harvests.

“There were no chemicals, no fertilizer, so we couldn’t harvest our crops,” Ihithisham Meezan, chairperson of tea conglomerate Meezan Group of Companies, told Arab News.

“And this year we are getting the required fertilizers, but the workers at the estate are leaving for Middle East jobs in search of greener pastures.

“Here the cost of living is very high, most of the labor is going out of the country. That is becoming very bad for us.”

But following nearly five decades of the company’s presence in the market, Meezan had faith that harvests of the famed Ceylon tea would soon restore its prominence.

“Saudi Arabia, European countries, everybody likes Sri Lankan tea,” he said. “Our tea is one of the best teas in the world.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×