Singapore, Qatar share a natural affinity and similar strategic outlook: President Halimah

DOHA – Singapore and Qatar share a natural affinity for each other and hold a similar strategic outlook, said President Halimah Yacob at a dinner reception in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, on Tuesday.

“We are small states surrounded by neighbours much larger than us, in both land area and population. We seek to make ourselves relevant despite our size, and to be active, responsible and constructive members of the international community,” she said.

More than 250 Singaporeans attended the reception, out of around 300 living in the Gulf nation.

“Singapore and Qatar continue to be strong advocates for free trade and an inclusive, rules-based multilateral trading system,” said Madam Halimah during her state visit to the Middle Eastern country.

The President noted that Qatar has undergone significant transformation in recent years, becoming the first country in the region to host the football World Cup in 2022.

“The success of Qatar’s World Cup demonstrated that a small country is capable of putting up a spectacular show and shining on the world stage,” said Madam Halimah, who visited the 88,966-seater Lusail Stadium – one of eight stadiums built for the occasion – earlier on Tuesday.

The President toured the National Museum of Qatar, which traces the country’s evolution from a small fishing community to a modern state.

She also visited the 2.6 million sq m Baladna Farm, which is able to house 24,000 cows and is one of the largest cattle farms in the region. The air-conditioned farm produces around 450 tonnes of dairy products annually. 

Madam Halimah said: “I look forward to witnessing more of the dynamism and opportunities that Qatar and Qataris have to offer.”

Qatar and Singapore have excellent relations and frequent high-level exchanges, with economic ties growing steadily over the years, she noted.

Singapore established diplomatic relations in November 1984 with Qatar, which is the Republic’s third-largest trading partner in the Middle East. Bilateral trade in 2022 amounted to $8.2 billion. 

Local companies in Qatar include oil and gas infrastructure company Rotary Engineering, Certis Cisco, Keppel and interior design firm Daya.

Ms Grace Chia, second deputy executive chairman of Rotary Engineering, told The Straits Times that Qatar is where the action is for energy storage infrastructure companies. Rotary Engineering established its regional office in Qatar in 2020, and employs 800 staff there out of its 6,000 workers globally.

Rotary clinched a US$340 million (S$456 million) contract by QatarEnergy in 2021 to design and build a storage tank farm for petroleum and jet fuel products in Qatar’s Mesaieed Industrial City, one of the country’s major industrial areas for gas processing, refining, and petrochemical production.