COLOMBO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to Sri Lanka more than doubled in the first half of 2025, rising by 101 percent compared to the same period last year, state media reported on Sunday, quoting a senior official.

Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman Arjuna Herath said that FDI inflows reached over 507 million U.S. dollars during the first six months of 2025, up from 252 million dollars in the same period of 2024.

Herath said that realized local investment from January to June 2025 stood at 285 million dollars, representing a 13 percent increase from the previous year. The combined total for foreign and local investments in the first half of 2025 amounted to 792 million dollars.

The BOI approved 57 new projects in the first six months of this year. He said that these projects are expected to create more than 14,000 new jobs.

Key sectors driving investment growth include port development, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality, as well as services such as hub operations, Herath said. ■