Doha, 9 August 2022 (TDI): Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Singapore, Saoud Jassim Al Jufairi congratulated Singapore on its 57th National Day.

 

Al Jufairi extended his warmest congratulations to the President of the Republic of Singapore, Halimah Yacob, and the government and people of Singapore on the occasion of National Day. He wished the Singaporean people continued peace and prosperity.

He also conveyed the congratulations of the President of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Al Jufairi remarked that Qatar enjoys “excellent relations” with Singapore, underpinned by strong political and economic cooperation.

Furthermore, he stressed enhancing and strengthening the relations in the future.

History of Singapore National Day

Singapore National Day takes place in Singapore every year on August 9.

It is a special day when citizens of the country come together to appreciate and celebrate their independence.

In 1963, a merger caused Sarawak, Sabah, Singapore, and the Federation of Malaya to become the Federation of Malaysia.

At that time, Singapore was without natural resources and needed Malaysia for a bigger market reach and job opportunities.

Later in 1965, due to some political and civil unrest, Singapore gained its independence from Malaysia.

Relations between Singapore and Qatar

Diplomatic relations between Singapore and Qatar were established in 1984. Both countries are strong economic and trade partners with strong political cooperation.

The close bilateral relationship of both nations is firmly based on the Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee.

Qatari-Singaporean trade, economic, and investment relations are expected to expand to include defense understandings and agreements in 2023.

There are regular exchanges of visits at various levels in the past few years. The President of Qatar made a State Visit to Singapore in October 2017.

Both countries have signed a range of bilateral agreements in various sectors, including a Bilateral Investment Treaty.

The Singapore Business Council Qatar (SBCQ) was also launched in 2017. Companies could use the SBCQ as a platform to explore investment opportunities.

Cooperation between both states could be held in areas, such as urban planning, environmental and water management, e-government, and digitization.

Singapore and Qatar serve as aviation hubs within their respective regions. Both countries are also active, responsible, and constructive members of the international community.