MFA-SIF Joint Press Release on the visit of His Excellency Mr. Hussain J Al-Nowais, Chairman of Emirates Holdings, 17 November 2008

His Excellency Mr. Hussain J Al-Nowais, Chairman of Emirates Holdings, will be visiting Singapore from 17 to 20 November 2008, at the invitation of Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan.

Mr. Hussain is visiting 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, Mr. Hussain will call on Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and meet with Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed and Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan. He will attend briefings at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Manpower, Spring Singapore, Jurong Town Corporation and the Land Transport Authority. As part of his itinerary, Mr. Hussain will also deliver a public lecture on the partnership model between Abu Dhabi and Singapore at the Shangri-la Hotel.

Mr. Hussain has over 25 years of experience in banking, finance, investment, industries and project development. He has been actively involved in the setting up of new businesses and the acquisitions of ongoing businesses, primarily in the Gulf States and the Middle East.

Mr. Hussain is Chairman of several government institutions like the Emirates Steel Industries and the National Petroleum Construction Company. He sits on the Boards of the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development and the Sheikh Khalifa University for Science and Technology. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of UAE's Zayed University and Executive Board Member of the Arab Business Council of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

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. Mr. Hussain is the ninth visitor invited under this programme.

Previous eminent visitors include the Egyptian Minister of Administrative Development, HE Dr. Ahmed Darwish; the Mayor of Jeddah, HE Adel Fakeih; UAE Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, HE Dr. Anwar Gargash; Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and Qatari Minister of State, HE Abdulrahman Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah; the Attorney-General of Qatar, HE Dr. Ali Bin Fetais Al-Marri, as well as the then-Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the National Health Authority, and now Minister of Public Health in Qatar, HE Sheikha Dr. Ghalia Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
17 NOVEMBER 2008