Joint MFA-SIF News Release: Bahrain Economic Development Board Chief Executive to visit Singapore - His Excellency, Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa is 11th visitor to Singapore under the MFA and SIF’s Middle East Eminent Persons Programme

Singapore, March 23, 2009. His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, is visiting Singapore from 23-26 March 2009 under the Middle East Eminent Persons Programme (MEEPP), jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Singapore International Foundation (SIF).

During his four-day visit, H.E. Shaikh Mohammed will meet with Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan and Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan. He will also attend a lunch hosted by Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan, meet with Mr. Manohar Khiatani, Deputy Managing Director of the Economic Development Board, and attend a dialogue session with the Singapore Business Federation.

H.E. Shaikh Mohammed was the Minister-in-Attendance during Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's visit to Bahrain in March 2008. He has served previously as President of Crown Prince His Highness Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa's's Court. A keen motor sports enthusiast, he was also the Vice-President of the Bahrain Motor Federation.

H.E. Shaikh Mohammed last visited Singapore in October 2008 as a member of Crown Prince Shaikh Salman's delegation. Crown Prince Shaikh Salman had visited at the invitation of PM Lee Hsien Loong. Singapore and Bahrain have a strong diplomatic and economic relationship, sharing similarities in terms of developmental and geographic conditions as well as economic and financial goals. The government and private sector in both countries have entered into various strategic alliances over the years to share and leverage on each other's experience. In October last year, the Bahrain Stock Exchange and Singapore Stock Exchange entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to explore opportunities for collaboration and training.

H.E. Shaikh Mohammed holds a bachelor's degree in economic theory from American University and a postgraduate diploma in business studies from the London School of Economics.

Launched by MFA and SIF in early 2007, the MEEPP aims to bring distinguished personalities from the Middle East to Singapore to promote mutual understanding and cooperation, through the exchange of views with senior Singaporean leaders and government officials.

Previous eminent visitors include the Egyptian Minister of Administrative Development, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Darwish; the Mayor of Jeddah, H.E. Adel Fakeih; UAE Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, H.E. Dr. Anwar Gargash; Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and Qatari Minister of State, H.E. Abdulrahman Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah; the Attorney-General of Qatar, H.E. Dr. Ali Bin Fetais Al-Marri; the then-Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the National Health Authority, and now Minister of Public Health in Qatar, H.E. Sheikha Dr. Ghalia Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani; Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Cooperation, H.E. Mr. Hussain J Al-Nowais and Advisor to the Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources HRH Prince Faisal Bin Turki.

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