Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from October 18 to 22, marking his first official trip to the Middle East as the head of government. The visit comes at the invitation of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on October 17.
PM Wong will be in Doha from October 18 to 20, before traveling to Abu Dhabi and Dubai from October 20 to 22. The trip follows a series of visits earlier this year by Singaporean ministers to the region, and aims to reinforce dialogue and cooperation on regional developments, energy security, and economic resilience.
In Qatar, PM Wong is scheduled to hold talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim and co-chair the ninth Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee (HLJC) alongside him. Established in 2006, the HLJC serves as the principal framework for strategic bilateral relations. The committee last convened in August 2023 in Singapore, co-chaired then by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. During the visit, PM Wong will also meet Sheikh Mohammed, who serves as Qatar’s foreign minister.
Qatar ranks as Singapore’s third-largest trading partner within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with total goods trade reaching $8.53 billion in 2025. This Gulf bloc also includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Qatar, a leading global producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), is a key supplier to Singapore. The two countries have seen frequent engagement in the past year, with over 10 ministerial visits, including Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s trips in May and September, and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing’s visit in early October, which focused on strengthening defence ties and professional exchanges.
In the UAE, PM Wong will first meet President Sheikh Mohamed and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He will then proceed to Dubai to meet Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The UAE is Singapore’s largest Middle Eastern trading partner, with goods trade totaling $279 billion in 2025 and bilateral services trade reaching $12.8 billion in 2024. The two countries celebrated 40 years of diplomatic relations in 2025 and upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive partnership in 2019. Economic collaboration is facilitated through the Abu Dhabi–Singapore Joint Forum, which held its 17th meeting in Singapore in September.
As part of the trip, PM Wong will also engage with overseas Singaporean communities through receptions in Doha and Dubai. Traveling with him are his spouse, Minister Balakrishnan, Minister for Energy and Trade Tan See Leng, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, and officials from multiple ministries. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong will serve as acting prime minister during PM Wong’s absence.