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Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to begin talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement while meeting in Abu Dhabi on October 21, 2026. The ministry said in a statement that the pact aims to deepen economic integration between the two countries, facilitate trade and investment flows, and open new opportunities for businesses on both sides. Wong was in the UAE as part of an official visit to the Middle East that also included a stop in Qatar.
Bilateral non-oil trade between Singapore and the UAE reached around $6.5 billion in 2025, a 25 percent rise from the prior year, according to figures from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry’s data places the UAE as Singapore’s largest trading partner and investment destination in the Middle East and North Africa region. The two countries marked 40 years of diplomatic relations in 2025.
The leaders witnessed the signing of three memorandums of understanding on energy cooperation, water management and disease vector control, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. Under one of the agreements, the countries will establish a joint energy task force within the Abu Dhabi-Singapore Joint Forum to pursue collaboration along the full energy value chain, including trade, infrastructure and downstream activities. Wong and Sheikh Mohamed also discussed ways to build economic and security resilience amid global uncertainties.
Both sides will convene the fourth Singapore-UAE Joint Committee to assess progress under their Comprehensive Partnership and pinpoint fresh areas for cooperation, the ministry’s statement noted. Topics slated for discussion include trade and investment alongside energy and sustainability, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, space, security and nuclear technology. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the leaders underscored the value of trusted partnerships in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
The ministry added that with Singapore due to chair ASEAN in 2027, the two countries hope to make headway toward an ASEAN-GCC Free Trade Agreement. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement talks build on existing commercial ties that have expanded steadily since diplomatic relations were established. Officials from both nations highlighted the role of private sector collaboration in driving future opportunities.
