1. Minister-in-charge of Energy, Science & Technology Dr Tan See Leng  co-chaired the 16th Abu Dhabi-Singapore Joint Forum (ADSJF) with the Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority (EAA), H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 19 November 2025, as part of Minister Tan’s visit to Qatar and the UAE from 17 to 20 November 2025.  

2. At the 16th ADSJF, Minister Tan and H.E. Al Mubarak discussed the good progress made in key workstreams arising from the 15th ADSJF held in October 2024, such as health and energy. They also discussed ongoing collaborations in Artificial Intelligence, capacity development, water sustainability as well as emerging areas such as the digital economy and space collaboration.

3. Minister Tan said, “Singapore and the UAE share a strong and growing economic partnership. I am heartened to hear that more Singapore companies are establishing their presence in the UAE. At the government-level, we are also discussing new areas of cooperation such as genomics and energy. This will strengthen and diversify the collaboration between our two countries.” 

4. H.E. Al Mubarak said, “The Abu Dhabi-Singapore Joint Forum continues to serve as a key platform to strengthen cooperation and explore areas of mutual interest between the UAE and Singapore. The various opportunities for cooperation discussed at the 2025 session reflect our shared goals to build upon our longstanding ties, and to advance collaboration that supports innovation and knowledge exchange across multiple fields.” 

5. Minister Tan and H.E. Al Mubarak also witnessed the signing of one MOU between Singapore Energy Interconnections (SGEI) and TAQA Transmission, part of the UAE’s TAQA Group, to build capability in areas such as power interconnections and renewable energy integration, and identify future business, strategic and investment opportunities. 

6. Minister Tan also inaugurated Singapore Business Federation’s Singapore Enterprise Centre (SEC) in Dubai on 19 November 2025. The event was attended by Singapore and UAE businesses. 

7. The UAE is Singapore’s largest trading partner and investment destination in the Middle East and North Africa region, and was Singapore’s 13th largest trading partner overall in 2024. Bilateral merchandise trade between the UAE and Singapore amounted to S$24 billion in 2024, while trade in services between the UAE and Singapore was S$12.8 billion in 2023. The stock of Singapore’s investments into the UAE reached S$4.9 billion in 2023. 

MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
21 November 2025

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Annex: Photos of the 16th ADSJF and captions

Minister-in-charge of Energy, Science & Technology Dr Tan See Leng and Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak at the 16th ADSJF in Abu Dhabi on 19 November 2025 

Photo of the MOU signing between Singapore Energy Interconnections (SGEI) and Abu Dhabi’s TAQA Transmission, witnessed by the ADSJF co-chairs