Sri Lankan representatives in the Middle East say the newly launched Sinhala edition of Arab News has created an opportunity for migrant workers to access global and regional news more easily in their own language.

They noted that language had been one of the main barriers preventing many Sri Lankans from accessing international news content.

Sinhala speakers account for around 75 percent of Sri Lanka’s population, making them the country’s largest ethnic and linguistic community.

The Sinhala edition was launched as part of Arab News’ artificial intelligence (AI)-powered translation feature introduced in 2025, which allows readers to translate articles into 50 languages.

The official launch ceremony was held on July 5, 2026, in Riyadh under the patronage of Sri Lankan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ameer Ajwad.

Speaking at the event, the Ambassador said the initiative would make the region’s leading English-language newspaper more accessible to the large Sinhala-speaking Sri Lankan migrant community in Saudi Arabia, particularly those with limited English proficiency.

Around 1.2 million Sri Lankan workers are employed across the Middle East, with the majority living in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Sri Lankan entrepreneur Nihal Gamage, who has lived in Saudi Arabia for more than four decades, said accessing news relevant to their region in their own language was a significant development.

Former President of the Association of Sri Lankans Abroad, Dr. H. M. Rafeek, said the Sinhala edition was a positive message for the majority of Sri Lankans who use Sinhala as their mother tongue.