ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, in Abu Dhabi on 21 October 2026, during Prime Minister Wong’s official visit to the UAE.

The leaders reaffirmed the warm and longstanding relations between the UAE and Singapore following the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025. They also reiterated their shared commitment to deepening the Singapore-UAE Comprehensive Partnership, established during His Highness Sheikh Mohamed’s official visit to Singapore in 2019.

Both sides agreed to convene the fourth Singapore–UAE Joint Committee (SUJC) to review progress under their Comprehensive Partnership, and identify new areas of cooperation including in trade and investment, energy and sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced technologies, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, space, security and nuclear technology. They emphasised the importance of enhancing collaboration in research and innovation, facilitating the exchange of expertise, and developing joint initiatives that advance shared priorities and deliver tangible benefits for both countries.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the Abu Dhabi–Singapore Joint Forum (ADSJF) in advancing economic cooperation. They welcomed the successful convening of the 17th ADSJF, held in Singapore on 28 September 2026, co-chaired by Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, and Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry).

The 17th ADSJF saw the signing and renewal of MOUs on investment, capacity-building, and industrial development. Both sides recognised the important role of these engagements in enhancing bilateral coordination and expanding cooperation in key areas, including energy, infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

Both sides welcomed the strong economic ties between the UAE and Singapore, which are important commercial partners and gateways to the Middle East and Southeast Asia respectively. The UAE is Singapore’s largest trading partner and investment destination in the Middle East and North Africa region, with total non-oil bilateral trade reaching approximately $6.5 billion in 2025, achieving a growth of 25% from 2024.

Both sides agreed to work towards further expanding trade and investment ties and advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including energy, technology, financial services, logistics, infrastructure and the digital economy. Both sides welcomed Temasek’s announcement that it would deepen its presence in the UAE with the establishment of an office in Abu Dhabi.

Both sides welcomed the launch of negotiations on a Singapore–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic relations, expanding market access, and enhancing investment flows. Beyond the CEPA, both sides welcomed the conclusion of MOUs in energy cooperation, water cooperation, and disease vector control.

Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening Singapore–UAE energy cooperation to enhance energy security and support their respective energy transition ambitions. They welcomed the establishment of the Joint Energy Taskforce under the ambit of the ADSJF, to explore opportunities and deepen cooperation across the energy value chain, including trading, infrastructure, and downstream activities. Both sides also welcomed ongoing cooperation in nuclear energy, involving the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC).

Both sides welcomed the substantive progress towards the UAE’s accession to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) and looked forward to concluding the accession process, with Singapore serving as Chair of the UAE’s Accession Working Group.

As founding members and co-convenors of the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership (FITP), both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to upholding an open and predictable rules-based trading system, and to advancing practical cooperation.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral security cooperation, including through the exchange of expertise, capacity-building, and engagements between their defence industries. They also underscored the importance of enhancing collaboration in emerging technologies, including AI, in support of shared interests and mutual security objectives. Both sides also reaffirmed their strong civil defence ties, including the longstanding arrangement of Emirati cadets attending specialised courses in Singapore.

Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to advance shared regional priorities. They welcomed the opportunity presented by Singapore’s upcoming ASEAN Chairmanship and the third ASEAN–GCC Summit to make tangible progress in key areas of cooperation including advancing discussions on an ASEAN-GCC Free Trade Agreement, which would deepen economic integration between the two regions.

Both sides commended preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal in Abu Dhabi from December 8-10, 2026, highlighting its role in accelerating the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6, strengthening partnerships, mobilising finance and investment, and advancing practical and scalable solutions to global water challenges.

They affirmed the strategic importance of sustainable water management and welcomed continued cooperation in desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment and reuse, and innovative water technologies, leveraging each other’s complementary strengths. In this regard, they highlighted Singapore’s experience in integrated water management, desalination, water reclamation and reuse, and advanced water technologies, alongside the UAE’s growing innovation and investment ecosystem.

Both sides underscored the role of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Water Initiative in advancing water innovation, fostering partnerships, and supporting the development and deployment of innovative solutions to address global water scarcity.

Both sides expressed interest in exploring further opportunities for knowledge exchange, technology collaboration, and partnerships that can support the development and deployment of sustainable and scalable water solutions. They underscored the strategic importance of food security and resilient global food supply chains, and recognised the role of agricultural innovation, sustainable food production, and reliable access to agricultural inputs in strengthening the resilience and sustainability of food systems.

Both sides welcomed the deepening of cultural and people-to-people ties between Singapore and the UAE, which form an important foundation of the bilateral relationship. Prime Minister Wong thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE’s hosting of over 4,000 Singaporeans, the largest community of Singaporeans in the region.

Both sides welcomed the Asian Civilisations Museum’s loan of 46 artefacts to the Louvre Abu Dhabi for the ongoing 'Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean' exhibition, as well as the collaboration between the National Gallery Singapore and the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation on the inaugural Abu Dhabi Festival Children’s Biennale, to be held from November 6 - December 6, 2026.

Both sides exchanged views on regional developments and expressed concern over the implications of continued tensions for regional and international peace and security. They reaffirmed the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, upholding international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomatic means.

They reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and underscored the importance of adherence to international law, and upholding navigational rights and freedoms, including the right of transit passage, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and customary international law.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation across all fields within the framework of the Singapore–UAE Comprehensive Partnership. They encouraged government entities and the private sector in both countries to pursue new opportunities for concrete cooperation.

Prime Minister Wong also reiterated the invitation for His Highness Sheikh Mohamed to make a state visit to Singapore, which His Highness accepted and agreed to undertake at a time convenient to both sides.