Visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to the Middle East, 2 to 5 May 2026

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6 May 2026

Visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to the Middle East, 2 to 5 May 2026.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan made a working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the State of Qatar from 2 to 5 May 2026.

In the meetings, Minister Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore's longstanding ties with our Gulf partners and exchanged views on regional developments, including the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the importance of upholding the right of unimpeded transit passage in the Strait. They also discussed areas of cooperation between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

In the UAE, Minister Balakrishnan met Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Managing Director and Group CEO Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber in Abu Dhabi. Minister Balakrishnan also met Minister of Foreign Trade Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai. Both sides discussed opportunities to strengthen our Comprehensive Partnership in areas such as trade and investment, supply chain resilience, energy, the digital economy, and civil defence.

In Oman, Minister Balakrishnan met Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Bin Hamood Al Busaidi and Minister of Royal Office General Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Nomani. Minister Balakrishnan conveyed Singapore's appreciation for Oman's facilitation of two Singapore repatriation flights from Muscat on 7 and 8 March 2026. The Ministers discussed a range of bilateral issues, including efforts to deepen cooperation in areas such as logistics, energy security, maritime governance, and the digital economy.

In KSA, Minister Balakrishnan met Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud. Minister Balakrishnan expressed appreciation to the Kingdom for ensuring our pilgrims' safety and security for the upcoming Haj and for its facilitation of two Republic of Singapore Air Force A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport repatriation flights from Riyadh and Jeddah on 10 and 12 March 2026 respectively. Both Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the existing Strategic Partnership and discussed furthering ties in trade and investment, energy security, logistics, and connectivity.

In Qatar, Minister Balakrishnan met Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Both sides discussed strengthening cooperation in economic resilience, defence, and food and energy security.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

6 MAY 2026