PUBLISHED ONSeptember 01, 2026 3:36 AMBYSean LerPrime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday (Aug 31) met with Macao chief executive Sam Hou Fai, who was in Singapore on a three-day visit.
This is the Macao chief executive's first official visit to Singapore since he took office on December 20, 2024, and the first meeting between the two leaders.
Taking to Facebook on Monday evening, PM Wong noted that both Singapore and Macao are open economies with a strong commitment to free trade and international cooperation.
He said that they discussed how the two sides can deepen ties in areas such as culture, financial services, healthcare and tourism
They also looked at how Singapore can tap on new opportunities arising from Macao's development with Hengqin and the wider Greater Bay Area.
The Greater Bay Area — formed by Guangdong, Macao and HongKong — connects 11 major cities, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen, to form a single economic and business hub.
Data from Hong Kong's government shows the area having a gross domestic product (GDP) of RMB15 trillion (S$2.8 trillion) in 2025, which is similar to Spain.
PM Wong said that they also discussed strengthening people-to-people exchanges, including for institutions such as universities.
A day earlier, on Sunday, Coordinating Minister for Social Polices and Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung hosted the chief executive for lunch.
The coordinating minister said that they discussed common areas of interest such as healthcare, social security and the economy.
Ong noted that Macao is actively growing and diversifying its economy, leveraging its unique position as a key gateway to the Greater Bay Area.
"We had a good discussion on how Singapore and Macao can deepen cooperation, tapping on each other’s strengths," he wrote on his Facebook.
In a speech at the National University of Singapore on Monday after, Chief Executive Sam stated that Macao has been moving away from its heavy reliance on tourism and gaming.
He added that Macao is keen on developing four sectors, namely, advanced technology, finance, cultural tourism and traditional chinese medicine.
After Singapore, Chief Executive Sam will visit Indonesia and Malaysia.
He is accompanied by his wife, Wong Ho Peng, Secretary for Economy and Finance Ng Wai Han, and senior officials from the Macao Special Administrative Region administration.
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