Intercontinental Hotel complex in Riyadh
Founder of Riyadh Sri Lankan school dies
by Mohammed Rasooldeen in Riyadh

The founder of the Sri Lankan International School in Riyadh and first chief engineer of the Riyadh Intercontinental Hotel, Yaseen Marikkar (75) who passed away in Colombo after a brief illness last Sunday was remembered by the Sri Lankan community in Saudi Arabia.

The Sri Lankan International School – Riyadh (SLISR) is an independent, non-profit, community school – a school offering an enriched blend of British and Sri Lankan curriculum with an international perspective for students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. SLISR was founded in 1988 and celebrates more than three decades of excellence in education. SLISR is a Pearson Edexcel Learning and Examination Centre producing some of the best academic results in the region, each year.

As a mark of respect to the deceased, the Sri Lankan International School here had a special assembly of students and parents on Tuesday.

One of the senior parents of the school, Mushin Ismail delivered a special talk on Yaseen Marikkar’s contributions to the Sri Lankan community and the school. The school also observed a two-minute silence to late Marikkar.
“Yaseen contributed a long way to start this school. If it were not for his untiring efforts and dedicated spirit, the institution would not have been formed at all,” said Ismail at the special assembly adding that the school which had 15 students at the time of establishment in 1988 now enjoys a strength of more than 450 students on roll.
Late Yaseen had organised several fund-raising projects in aid of the school to bring it to the present state. Yaseen who later became the Regional Engineer for the Intercontinental Hotels for Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries was responsible for the recruitment of a large number of Sri Lankan expatriates to the hotel’s group. His wife Dr. Nafisha was working here as a chest specialist at the Riyadh Central Hospital.

The Sri Lankan Ambassador Ibrahim Sahib Ansar said it was a sad news for all Sri Lankans in the kingdom since everyone knew Yaseen as a philanthropist and dedicated social worker.

The Sri Lankan Expatriates Society, SLES in Riyadh also sent a message of condolence to the bereaved family. He is survived by his wife Dr. Nafisha and his daughters Rukshana and Frazana.