Abu Dhabi crown prince visits Singapore; 8 MoUs signed, ranging from AI to clean energy

Singapore and the United Arab Emirates marked the first official visit (October 29-30) of the Abu Dhabi crown prince to the island nation by signing eight Memoranda of Understanding, spanning sectors from Artificial Intelligence to clean energy.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wrote on X, posting several images: “Hosted Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on his first official visit to Singapore. We had a good and wide-ranging discussion — covering topics from geopolitics, clean energy, to tourism and museum programming.”

In a series of X posts, PM Wong wrote: “Our countries are hubs for our respective regions, and committed to a rules-based international order. We have much to gain by strengthening our links, and learning from each other’s experience.

“We signed 8 MOUs across diverse areas, from AI, to civilian nuclear energy, and public service transformation and training. Look forward to deepening our relationship, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year.”

The UAE and Singapore are both countries with a small landmass but strong economies and very positive global reputations.

Giving some details of the two-day official visit by the crown prince, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs website said that PM Wong would host a lunch for him on October 30, and that “Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled will make several site visits, including to the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre, the Singapore City Gallery, Marina Barrage, and Gardens by the Bay. Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled will be accompanied by a delegation of several ministerial-level officials.”

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed is the eldest son of UAE President HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi. Before this Singapore visit, he also came to India on September 9-10, 2024, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During the India visit of the Abu Dhabi crown prince, a number of MoUs related to the energy sector were signed.

Sheikh Khaled attends business networking event in Singapore

Reporting on the Singapore visit, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said: “His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has attended a networking event with members of the UAE-Singapore Business Council, during his official visit to the Republic of Singapore.”

It said: “The [networking] event highlighted the investment opportunities offered by Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s business-friendly environment to further strengthen economic and trade ties between the two countries, with the UAE serving as Singapore’s top trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa region.”

The business council event saw discussions on investment across vital sectors, including AI and innovation, advanced technology, education, energy, urban planning and smart cities, sustainable economic development and research and development collaboration.

Sheikh Khaled met with business leaders and CEOs from leading Singapore companies to discuss ways of enhancing economic and trade co-operation between UAE and Singapore businesses.