MFA Press Statement: Official Visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs And Minister for Law K Shanmugam to the Sultanate Of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, 17-21 May 2013

        Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam will make an official visit to the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates from 17 to 21 May 2013.  It will be Minister Shanmugam’s introductory visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and his second visit to Oman following his initial visit in May 2012.

        In Oman, Minister will officiate the opening of the Salalah Independent Water and Power Plant (IWPP)[1] with His Excellency Sayyid Mohammed Bin Sultan Bin Hamood Al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar Province.  Located in Salalah, Oman, the S$1.4 billion IWPP is a joint-venture between Sembcorp Utilities, the Oman Investment Corporation and Instrata Capital, with Sembcorp owning 60% of the joint venture.  During his visit, Minister Shanmugam will meet His Excellency Yousuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs and His Excellency Sayyid Badr Bin Hamood Al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

        Minister Shanmugam's visit to the UAE will maintain the momentum of the steadily expanding bilateral relationship between both countries.[2]  During the visit, Minister will be hosted by His Highness Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and will meet Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation, His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and His Excellency Dr Hadef Bin Jua’an Al Dhaheri, Minister of Justice.

        Minister Shanmugam will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Sheikh Abdulla to establish the Singapore-UAE Joint Committee (SUJC).  Co-chaired by the two Foreign Ministers, the SUJC will be a strategic and political platform pegged at the federal level, covering all seven emirates of the UAE, to explore areas of bilateral cooperation in different sectors.

        Minister Shanmugam will be accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

17 May 2013

[1] The Salalah Independent Water and Power Plant (IWPP) is one of the largest utility projects that a Singapore company has clinched in the global market, with Sembcorp’s investment representing the single largest stake by a Singapore company in Oman.

[2] In 2012, the UAE was Singapore’s largest trading partner in the Middle East with bilateral trade rising by 25% to S$25.5 billion from the year before.