Singapore's PM Lee to meet Saudi crown prince, UAE president on official Gulf trip

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will call on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan as part of official visits to the two Gulf states from Tuesday (Oct 17) to Sunday.

While in Riyadh, Mr Lee will attend the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit on Friday. There, leaders from the Southeast Asian bloc and the gulf will discuss strengthening relations and growing cooperation in areas like the green and digital economies, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

Mr Lee will also meet other Saudi leaders and be briefed on the country's Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy away from oil. He will meet Singaporeans living and working in Saudi Arabia, and visit historical and cultural sites in cities Madinah and Al Ula.

PMO said Mr Lee will then head to the UAE from Saturday to Sunday, where he will also meet with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince - and the president's eldest son - Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Singapore's Prime Minister will then visit the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for a briefing on the UAE’s energy transition plans.

Mr Lee will also drop by Dubai city to meet Emirati leaders and Singaporeans based there.

For the Saudi Arabia leg, Mr Lee will be accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli as well as Manpower Minister Tan See Leng.

In the UAE, his entourage will include Dr Tan again, along with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Maliki Osman, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment and Transport Amy Khor, as well as Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health Janil Puthucheary.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will be acting PM during Mr Lee's absence.