MFA Press Statement: Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and His Excellency Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Bin Hamood Al Busaidi attend the Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium Opening Ceremony as Guests-of-Honour

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and His Excellency Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Bin Hamood Al Busaidi, representative of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said of the Sultanate of Oman, were guests-of honour at the opening ceremony of the Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium (MEMA) on 15 October 2011. The centrepiece of the MEMA is the Jewel of Muscat, a replica of a 9th century dhow, which was presented to former President S R Nathan on 3 July 2010 as a gift from the Sultanate of Oman to the People of the Republic of Singapore. Emeritus Senior Minister Goh had attended the naming ceremony of the dhow in Oman in February 2010.

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh and His Excellency Sayyid Badr were given a tour of MEMA and briefed on the ancient maritime silk route that linked Oman and Singapore, after which they viewed the Jewel of Muscat exhibit. The Jewel of Muscat is unique as it was built with no nails or screws, but in the traditional manner with planks hand-sewn together with coconut fibres.

The Jewel of Muscat set sail from Oman on 16 February 2010 and called at ports in India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia en route to Singapore, retracing the ancient maritime silk route linking the Arabian Peninsula to Southeast Asia. During the voyage of the Jewel of Muscat, Omani Captain Saleh bin Said Al Jabri and his 15 man crew comprising Omanis, Singaporeans and others, braved tropical storms and difficult waters.

The Jewel of Muscat project symbolizes the ancient connections between Singapore and Oman and its revival in recent years. The project also coincided with a period of significant expansion in the friendship and bilateral ties between Singapore and Oman, with a growing trade, investment and deepening political engagement.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
15 OCTOBER 2011