Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to deepen collaboration on water management, technology development, and capability-building initiatives as part of their ongoing comprehensive partnership. The two countries affirmed this commitment during a high-level meeting on October 21 in Abu Dhabi, marking a renewal and expansion of a cooperation agreement originally signed in 2018 between Singapore’s national water agency, PUB, and the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy.
The refreshed pact aims to enhance joint efforts in water sustainability and resilience by broadening cooperation to include water resource management, demand management, and the deployment of innovative water technologies. The agreement also envisions increased collaboration on climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as piloting new water innovations through joint research and testing.
PUB highlighted that the initial 2018 agreement had already facilitated tangible opportunities for Singaporean firms in Abu Dhabi. For example, engineering consultancy menhadrut has provided water-related training, while water technology company ZWEEC has implemented fish activity monitoring systems to allow real-time water quality assessments.
In addition to water cooperation, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) signed an agreement to exchange expertise on vector control to protect public health. This includes sharing knowledge on controlling disease-transmitting organisms such as mosquitoes and rodents. The collaboration will support ADPHC’s adoption of the incompatible insect technique to reduce populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, drawing from Singapore’s Project Wolbachia, which has successfully targeted mosquito control measures.
During the visit, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed broadening ties in areas including defence, artificial intelligence, and digitalisation. PM Lee was welcomed at the Qasr Al Watan palace and hosted to lunch by Sheikh Mohamed. In a statement on social media, PM Lee expressed solidarity with the UAE amid ongoing regional tensions following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East earlier this year and thanked Sheikh Mohamed for his efforts in ensuring the safety of Singaporeans in the Emirates.
Both leaders exchanged views on the importance of restoring peace and stability in the region, emphasizing that their partnership is increasingly vital amid global uncertainties. PM Lee indicated anticipation for Sheikh Mohamed’s forthcoming state visit to Singapore and announced plans to convene the fourth Singapore-UAE Joint Committee to assess their partnership progress and explore new cooperation areas.
The joint statement also highlighted the opportunity to strengthen ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) relations through Singapore’s upcoming chairmanship of ASEAN in 2027 and the third ASEAN-GCC Summit. Both parties expressed interest in advancing talks on an ASEAN-GCC free trade agreement, noting that the UAE is a key member of the GCC.
Following the Abu Dhabi meetings, PM Lee traveled to Dubai, where he is scheduled to meet Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and attend a reception for overseas Singaporeans. Singapore and the UAE have robust economic ties, with bilateral trade in goods reaching $279 billion in 2025 and trade in services amounting to $12.8 billion in 2024, making the UAE Singapore’s largest Middle Eastern trading partner.