Bilateral Relations

Middle East

Singapore enjoys warm and long-standing ties with countries in the Middle East. Since 2004, when then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong initiated a series of official visits to the region, Singapore has significantly broadened and deepened its political and economic engagement of the Middle East.

Expanding our Diplomatic Presence

Singapore has expanded its diplomatic presence in the Middle East. In addition to the newly established embassies in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Doha, Qatar, Singapore currently has embassies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Cairo, Egypt, as well as a Consulate-General in Dubai and a Consulate in Jeddah. We have also appointed Non-Resident Ambassadors to Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen. At present, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have resident embassies in Singapore.

Bilateral Visits

As an indication of the growing ties shared between Singapore and the Middle East, there has been an upsurge in high-level visits between both sides in recent years.

Recent Visits to the Middle East

• Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng visited Qatar in March 2009.
• President S R Nathan made a State Visit to Oman, Qatar and the UAE in March 2009.
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean led a delegation to Abu Dhabi in April 2009.
• Senior Minister of State Zainul Abidin Rasheed attended a conference in Egypt in March 2009, visited Saudi Arabia at King Abdullah's invitation in September 2009 and also made an official visit to UAE in October 2009.
• Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo visited Bahrain and Egypt in July 2009. In the same month, Minister Yeo also made the first high-level visit by a Singapore leader to Syria since both countries established diplomatic relations in 2008.
• Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim visited Saudi Arabia in April and November 2009 and Oman in February 2010.
• Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi visited Bahrain In November 2009 and Saudi Arabia in December 2009.
• Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong visited Oman in January 2010 and Bahrain in February 2010.
• Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo visited Saudi Arabia in May 2010.

Welcoming Leaders from the Middle East

• UAE¡¯s Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Singapore in March 2009.
• Qatari Amir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani¡¯s made a State Visit in May 2009.
• Bahraini Minister for Cabinet Affairs Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatallah Al-Khalifa visited Singapore in June 2009.
• Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan led a delegation to Singapore in August 2009.
• As part of the Middle East Eminent Persons Programme (MEEPP), Egyptian Minister of Investment Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin visited Singapore in September 2009.
• Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Rachid M Rachid visited Singapore as part of a working visit in January 2010.
• Qatari Minister for Education and Higher Education, Saad Bin Ibrahim Al-Mahmoud visited Singapore in January 2010.
• Kuwait Minister of Oil and Information Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah visited Singapore in February 2010.
• Egyptian Investment Minister Mahmoud Mohieldin and Communications and Information Technology Minister Tarek Kamel made a working visit in March 2010.
• The Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities HRH Prince Sultan Bin Salman visited in May 2010 under the Middle East Eminent Persons Programme.

These frequent exchanges have served to forge strong links between the leaders of Singapore and the Middle East, and to expand areas of cooperation for mutual benefit.

Jewel of Muscat Project

The Jewel of Muscat is a joint project between Singapore and Oman to sail a reconstructed sailing ship from Oman to Singapore. Click here to access the Jewel of Muscat write-up on the MFA website.

Trade and Investment

Our intensified political exchanges have helped promote Singapore¡¯s economic ties with the Middle East. Several Singapore companies, including SembCorp, Keppel and Hyflux, have penetrated key markets in the region. They are present in a broad spectrum of sectors, including infrastructure, oil and gas, environmental technologies, logistics, tourism and retail. Singapore-linked companies have secured over S$25.5 billion worth of projects in the Middle East to date.

Bilateral Agreements

The signing of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (GSFTA) on 15 December 2008 marked an important milestone as Singapore is the first country to conclude an FTA with the GCC, which was collectively Singapore¡¯s 9th largest trading partner in 2009. The GSFTA will grant tariff-free access for about 99% of Singapore's domestic exports to the region, while all GCC goods entering into Singapore will be granted tariff-free access. The GSFTA will also encourage a greater recognition of Singapore MUIS Halal standards in the six GCC countries. The GSFTA will come into force after it is ratified by the GCC countries, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry estimates Singapore¡¯s potential tariff savings will amount to approximately S$130 million per year.

Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED)

Singapore mooted the idea of establishing an Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED) to promote greater inter-regional interaction and awareness in 2004. Singapore hosted the inaugural AMED Ministerial Meeting in June 2005, which attracted high-level attendance from leaders of both Asia and Middle East. Since then, AMED has produced a number of initiatives such as Singapore¡¯s AMED Regional Training Centres (RTCs) in Jordan and Qatar. AMED has also continued to organise workshops and meetings on issues of interest to member countries. Singapore continued to play an active role at the Second AMED Ministerial Meeting (AMED II), which was hosted by Egypt in Sharm El Sheikh in April 2008. At that Meeting Minister George Yeo announced that Singapore would establish and host the AMED Virtual Secretariat. Singapore hosted the AMED Media Roundtable in August 2009, which was well-attended by Middle Eastern and Asian journalists. Thailand will host AMED III while Saudi Arabia will host AMED IV.