His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, arrived at Singapore’s Parliament House on Tuesday, marking the start of his official visit to the Republic of Singapore.
Upon arrival, Sheikh Khaled was welcomed by His Excellency Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore. An official reception ceremony was held, during which the Prime Minister escorted Sheikh Khaled to the ceremonial platform, where the national anthems of the UAE and Singapore were played.
Sheikh Khaled and Lawrence Wong reviewed the guard of honour lined up in the Parliament’s reception hall to greet them.
His Highness then greeted Singaporean officials, while His Excellency Wong extended a warm welcome to the official UAE delegation accompanying Sheikh Khaled.
Holding talks
Later, Sheikh Khaled held official talks with Lawrence Wong at the Singapore Parliament House.
Prime Minister Wong highlighted the significance of this visit in reinforcing collaborative ties and promoting joint efforts across all fields between the UAE and Singapore.
The discussions focused on enhancing strategic bilateral relations and exploring avenues for further development across various sectors, aimed at advancing mutual interests and fostering benefits for the people of both countries.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Prime Minister of Singapore also reviewed the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, recognizing the ongoing efforts by both nations to expand their collaboration across various key sectors.
During the meeting, Sheikh Khaled reaffirmed the significance of strengthening UAE-Singapore partnerships, underscoring the shared visions that unite the two countries and their people across developmental, economic, and technological fields, encompassing key sectors such as AI, advanced technology solutions, innovation, clean energy, and urban planning, aimed at supporting sustainable development efforts in both nations.
Exploring new opportunities
His Highness also emphasised the UAE’s commitment to exploring new opportunities for cooperation with Singapore across areas of shared interest, particularly in initiatives that prioritise innovation, sustainability, comprehensive development, and the development of a knowledge-based economy.
Sheikh Khaled wrote a message in the guestbook at the Parliament House, stating: “Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with His Excellency Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, where we discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations. We look forward to deepening our collaboration and strategic partnerships across various vital sectors to meet the aspirations of our people”.
A UAE delegation accompanying Sheikh Khaled during his official visit includes His Excellency Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State; His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; His Excellency Faisal Abdulaziz Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs; His Excellency Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development; His Excellency Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport; His Excellency Ahmed Tamim Al Kuttab, Chairman of the Department of Government Enablement; His Excellency Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; and His Excellency Jamal Abdulla Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore.
Strong trade ties
In 2022, the UAE exported $14.4 billion worth of products to Singapore, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. The main products exported from the UAE to Singapore were crude petroleum ($8.22 billion), refined petroleum ($4.07 billion), and gold ($743 million). During the last five years, the UAE’s exports to Singapore have increased at an annualized rate of 10.8 percent, from $8.61 billion in 2017 to $14.4 billion in 2022.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s exports to the UAE have increased at an annualized rate of 11.1 percent, from $2.71 billion in 2017 to $4.6 billion in 2022.
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