The Peninsula
28th Jan 2008
Doha • Ties between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Singapore have experienced a big development during the past few years, thanks to the desire of both sides to enhance aspects of cooperation in political, economic, commerce and communication technology sectors besides other fields.
The visit of a senior Singaporean minister to Doha today, is considered a chance to further support those ties.
On June 9, 2005, the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani visited Singapore for talks on issues of common concern, mainly the commercial and economic fields. During the visit, the Emir attended the Qatari-Singaporean Business Forum and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two sides and visited the Singaporean Maritime Port Authority, the Urban Planning Authority and the Industrial Island of Jurong.
In July of 2005, the Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also visited Singapore and in October of 2007 he paid another visit, during which he presided over a high level joint committee between Qatar and Singapore.
During the visit of the Heir Apparent, five memorandums of understanding were signed, and an agreement and a project were launched.
Meanwhile, a number of Singaporean officials have visited Qatar, among them, was the senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who visited Doha in April.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also visited Qatar in November 2006, during which he held talks with high ranking officials in the state, covering bilateral ties and means of enhancing them.
Those special ties were embodied in the opening of a Singaporean embassy in Doha in 2006 and a Qatari embassy in Singapore as well.
Singaporean companies interested in investing in the Middle East considered Qatar as a giant market to its goods in the region, under the shadow of a rapid growing Qatari economy and a leading Singaporean economy among the Asian tigers.
Many Singaporean companies are working in Qatar, including the Keppel Seghers, with which the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture H E Sheikh Abdurrahman bin Khalifa Al Thani has signed with a project amounting to over QR3,9000,000 to establish the Solid Waste Management Centre.
Qatar’s Finance Ministry also signed an agreement with the Singaporean Cooperation Corporation in mid June in the field of developing and restructuring, so that the Qatari financial ministry would benefit from the Singaporean experience.
In the filed of communication, Qtel joined the Singaporean company of ST Telemedia, in which Qtel will own over 25 per cent of shares.
In additional cooperation, Qatar Airways has launched its first flight to Singapore in December 2003, starting with only three flights a week, to finally raise them up to seven flights a week.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=January2008&file=Local_News2008012821553.xml
