Visit to the Sultanate of Oman for the Second Singapore-Oman Strategic Dialogue, 18 to 20 January 2025

Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman co-chaired the Second Singapore-Oman Strategic Dialogue (SOSD) with Omani Foreign Minister His Excellency Sayyid Badr Bin Hamid Bin Hamood Al Busaidi, and National Security Council Secretary-General His Excellency Major General (MG) Idris Bin Abdulrahman Bin Hamoud Al Kindi in Muscat, Oman on 19 January 2025.

The SOSD co-chairs reaffirmed the close friendship between Oman and Singapore as we commemorate the 40^th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025. The co-chairs had a wide-ranging discussion on ways to strengthen collaboration in various sectors including capacity building, digital economy, cultural exchanges, and security cooperation.

Minister Shanmugam and Minister Maliki also attended a reception to commemorate the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations on 19 January. In his remarks at the reception, Minister Shanmugam spoke about the warm relations that have grown and deepened over the years owing to close cooperation across various sectors. The text of Minister Shanmugam’s remarks is at Annex. Both Ministers also met the Singaporean community based in Oman.

Minister Shanmugam and Minister Maliki jointly met Oman Minister of the Royal Office His Excellency General Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Nomani. The Ministers welcomed closer bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional developments. Separately, Minister Maliki also met Oman Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation Her Excellency Dr Rahma Bint Ibrahim Bin Said Al Mahrouqiyah and discussed collaboration in the education sector.  Minister Maliki will meet Oman Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion His Excellency Qais Al Yousef on 20 January.

Minister Maliki also attended the Inauguration Ceremony of the Manah II Solar Independent Power Project developed by SembCorp Industries in collaboration with Jinko Power Technology on 20 January.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

20 JANUARY 2025

Annex

TRANSCRIPT OF REMARKS BY MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS AND MINISTER FOR LAW MR K SHANMUGAM AT THE RECEPTION COMMEMORATING THE 40^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN SINGAPORE AND OMAN

Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Mr K Shanmugam:

Your Excellencies,

Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi,

Secretary General of the National Security Council,

Major General Idris Bin Abdulrahman Al Kindi,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very good evening to all of you. We are here this evening to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Oman. I am delighted to be back in Muscat with my colleague Minister Maliki Osman to take part in the Second Singapore-Oman Strategic Dialogue. On behalf of the Singapore delegation, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Your Excellencies Minister Sayyid Badr and Major General Idris for the very warm hospitality you have given to us and to our delegation, and for the strong support throughout the Omani establishment for closer ties between our two countries. I am very grateful for your presence here this evening and this means a lot to us.

First, I would like to begin by conveying the Singapore Government’s warmest congratulations on the occasion of the 5^th anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik’s accession to the throne. Over the last 40 years, the relationship between Singapore and Oman have grown steadily, matured, and now has blossomed into a close partnership. High-level exchanges have been going on for some time. In 2009, then-President S R Nathan from Singapore made a State Visit to Oman. In December 2023, we were extremely privileged and honoured to host the inaugural State Visit by His Majesty to Singapore. This was His Majesty’s first visit to Asia.

We were honoured by His Majesty’s kind gesture to name a road after Singapore in the new, iconic Sultan Haitham City development. Together with Muscat Street in Singapore, they are again a reflection of the friendship between our two nations and peoples.

For those who are not aware, Singapore has also been a trading post for centuries. Oman has been one as well for longer. In a short while, to mark this 40^th anniversary, we will unveil a commemorative stamp featuring Muscat Street to mark this auspicious year in our relations.

Under His Majesty’s leadership, Oman has continued to make steady progress. Earlier today, we received a briefing on Oman Vision 2040. It was inspiring to hear your plans to remake the way the government works, focus the entire energies of the society in a way that takes it in a new direction – an upward trajectory – and make people’s lives better, and on the variety of ideas in green hydrogen and smart city projects in Duqm, Salalah, Sultan Haitham City, and many others.

We in Singapore are happy to partner you in your work, as I am sure many other countries are. This morning, the Regional Institute for Infrastructural Development at Sultan Qaboos University launched a new programme which will share Singapore’s experience in digitalisation, cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence. Singapore and Oman have also been exchanging visits to share our experience in public administration and governance. Our officials learn from each other and share insights.

On the economic front, our ties are growing. Bilateral trade has been growing year-on-year. Singapore’s stock of direct investments into Oman now are in excess of US$720 million. The Gulf Cooperation Council-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been going well and Singapore has proposed to upgrade the FTA to include new areas. I hope that goes through. I am happy that Singapore and Oman are exploring cooperation in the digital economy. We can and should work together, particularly in the fields of energy, built environment and infrastructure, and hospitality.

On energy, we have SembCorp, a major Singapore company that has been present in Oman for more than 10 years and has achieved much success. It operates an independent water and power plant in Salalah which I as Foreign Minister more than 10 years ago took part in opening. More recently, it completed a solar power project in Manah, which is the company’s first greenfield renewable development in the entire Middle East. In the infrastructure space, there are Singapore firms: Meinhardt, Surbana Jurong, ST Engineering which are involved in major projects in this country, including Sultan Haitham City. Hospitality companies like Ascott and Banyan Group have also come here and have invested because the tourism and hospitality potential in Oman is very substantial and remains to be tapped.

Likewise, in the reverse, we are pleased to have Omani firms like Bank of Muscat, OQ Trading, and ASYAD Shipping coming to Singapore. I hope that more will use Singapore as a gateway to explore opportunities in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia has a population base of nearly 700 million, most of whom are young. With a combined GDP of just under US$4 trillion, it is one of the world’s largest economies and is projected to be the 4^th largest global economy by 2030. ASEAN can be an attractive market for Omani companies.   

So, there is much that we can do together. A business delegation organised by the Singapore Business Federation is with us here this evening. We hope to turn these interests into reality, into real jobs, and realisation of potential. Minister Sayyid Badr, Major General Idris, Dr Maliki and I have had good discussions on this, and I think we are quietly confident based on the discussions that we can continue the progress.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, as reflected in the logo of “Partnerships”, which has been chosen for Oman’s new promotional identity which His Majesty has recently launched, Singapore and Oman are like-minded partners.

You look around the world and see turbulence, factionalism, and fracturing between societies and within societies. We, Singapore and Oman, meanwhile are relative oases of peace. We seek to promote peace and stability within a world order that we hope will pay more attention to rules. As maritime and trading nations, we also share a mutual interest to strengthen connectivity and supply chain resilience. Most importantly, we both constantly pursue social cohesion and harmony where all within our societies can live in peace and security. In these uncertain times, I am confident that with wisdom and tenacity, we can work together to steer our countries through the storms which will come from time to time, just like Omani sailors on the Jewel of Muscat led by Captain Saleh Al Jabri who is here with us tonight.

May the friendship between Singapore and Oman continue to flourish and endure.