PUBLISHED ONMay 06, 2026 12:20 PMBYSean LerMinister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan reaffirmed the importance of upholding the right of free transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and discussed areas of cooperation such as energy security, during his recent visit to the Middle East from May 2 to 5.
During his working visit, he met with his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In a statement on Wednesday (May 6), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said Dr Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore's longstanding ties with the city state's Gulf partners and exchanged views on regional developments, including the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the importance of upholding the right of unimpeded transit passage in the Strait.
He also discussed areas of cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Singapore will take over chairmanship of the 11-member regional bloc from the Philippines in 2027.
In the UAE, Dr Balakrishnan met Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Zayed Al Nahyan and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who is also the managing director and group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
He also met with Minister of Foreign Trade Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai.
MFA said the ministers discussed opportunities to strengthen the comprehensive partnership in areas such as trade and investment, supply chain resilience, energy, the digital economy, and civil defence.
Dr Sultan shares a similar view as Singapore on the right of free passage through the Strait.
In a LinkedIn post published on April 9, he stated that if conditional passage is allowed, it would set a dangerous precedent for the world, which would undermine the principle of freedom of navigation that underpins global trade and, ultimately, the stability of the global economy.
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In Oman, Dr Balakrishnan met his counterpart Sayyid Badr Hamad Hamood Al Busaidi and Minister of Royal Office General Sultan Mohammed Al Nomani.
They discussed a range of bilateral issues, including efforts to deepen cooperation in areas such as logistics, energy security, maritime governance, and the digital economy.
Dr Balakrishnan also conveyed Singapore's appreciation for Oman's facilitation of two Singapore repatriation flights from Muscat on March 7 and March 8.
He similarly conveyed Singapore's appreciation to his Saudi Arabia counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud — for ensuring the safety and security of Singaporean pilgrims for the upcoming Haj and for the kingdom's facilitation of two Republic of Singapore Air Force A330 multi-role tanker transport repatriation flights from Riyadh on March 10 and Jeddah on March 12.
They also discussed furthering ties in trade and investment, energy security, logistics, and connectivity.
In Qatar, Dr Balakrishnan discussed strengthening cooperation in economic resilience, defence, and food and energy security with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saoud Abdulrahman Al Thani.
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