20-10-2023 (RIYADH) Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, accompanied by three Singapore ministers, embarked on a visit to Madinah, also known as the Luminous City, on Thursday. The city holds significant religious importance as the second-holiest city in Islam after Makkah, being the place where Prophet Muhammad established the community of believers and where he is buried.
During his first visit to Madinah, PM Lee paid a visit to the Quba Mosque, recognized as the oldest mosque in the world. According to historical accounts, the mosque’s foundation stone was laid by the Prophet himself, with its construction completed by his companions.
Joining PM Lee on this visit were Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Social and Family Development Minister and Second Minister for Health Masagos Zulkifli, who also holds the position of Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, and Manpower Minister and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng.
In addition to Madinah, the delegation also explored the city of Al Ula, which holds significance as part of historic trade routes and is currently being developed by Saudi authorities as a cultural tourism destination.
PM Lee, who is on an official visit to Saudi Arabia from Tuesday to Friday, attended a reception in Riyadh for approximately 100 overseas Singaporeans working and studying in the country.
During his visit, PM Lee had a meeting and lunch with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday. The discussions revolved around strengthening bilateral relations in various areas, including trade and investment, green energy, and the digital economy.
The Singapore delegation also participated in a briefing on Vision 2030, organized by Saudi Arabia’s strategic management office. PM Lee expressed Singapore’s potential to contribute to the vision, both from the private sector and through government-to-government collaboration.
Furthermore, PM Lee and his delegation attended the Saudi-Singapore Roundtable Meeting, hosted by Minister of Investment Khalid Al Falih. Senior representatives from established Saudi companies expressed their interest in enhancing collaboration with Singapore in sectors such as agriculture, digital economy and innovation, financial services, energy and petrochemicals, as well as transport and logistics.
PM Lee welcomed Saudi companies to utilize Singapore as a gateway to explore business opportunities in Asia.
On Friday, PM Lee will take part in the inaugural ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council summit, where leaders from both regional groupings will discuss various topics, including energy, food, and security. The ongoing Middle East crisis is also expected to be addressed during the meeting.
