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The Istana
Speeches

Speech by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the State Banquet hosted in Honour of his Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik of Oman

14 December 2023

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Your Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik,

Your Highness Sayyid Shibab Bin Tarik,

Excellencies

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

  1.  A very warm welcome to Your Majesty and your distinguished delegation from Oman. This occasion marks a new chapter in relations between our two countries. It is Your Majesty’s first State Visit to Singapore, and indeed the first visit by an Omani Sultan to Singapore.

  2.  However, your Majesty is no stranger to Singapore. Your Majesty had visited Singapore several times over a few decades, before assuming the throne, and has become an astute observer of Singapore’s path to development. I am delighted to welcome you back.   

  3.  Singapore and Oman established diplomatic ties 38 years ago, but our ties go back centuries, through trade and culture.   

    1.  We commemorated this in 2010 with The Jewel of Muscat. A replica of a 9th century Arab dhow and State Gift from the late Sultan Qaboos, it was constructed jointly by the two countries before making a 6,630 km journey from Muscat to Singapore.

      1.  Relying only on the winds, the Jewel’s 17-man crew sailed the vessel along a route linking Asia and the Middle East that the early Arab traders would have plied. The crew included several Omanis and even an officer from the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Jeff Khoo, who is here with us today.

      2.  The Jewel had pride of place in the Maritime Experiential Museum in Sentosa. Today, it awaits its new home as a central feature of the revamped Oceanarium that will open next year.

    2.  We also see our historical links in Singapore’s physical infrastructure.

      1.  Muscat Street was redeveloped in 2012 in collaboration with the Muscat Municipality, featuring Omani-style archways and murals. It is a thriving part of the Kampong Glam heritage district.

  4.  Looking forward, we have just concluded an MOU on youth and cultural cooperation during Your Majesty’s Visit. In fact, it has been an especially fruitful year in our relations.

    1.  Just over a year ago, we held the inaugural Singapore – Oman Strategic Dialogue. This was a strong signal of our mutual intent to elevate ties to the next level.

    2.  Earlier this year, we upgraded our respective Consulates-General in Muscat and Singapore to Embassies.

    3.  We have also had a steady stream of government and business exchanges.

  5.  Your Majesty’s State Visit is a major milestone, that enables us to build on this momentum of strengthening relations. Singapore looks forward to doing more with Oman. We may be separated by the vast Indian Ocean, but we share many commonalities.

    1.  We are both maritime nations straddling strategic waterways, dependent on free and open trade, inclusive regional architectures, and the preservation of a rules-based international order.

    2.  We both believe in promoting tolerance, understanding and interfaith dialogue.    

  6.  Our economic relationship is growing too. Singapore companies like SembCorp, Blue Aqua, and SATS have made significant investments in Oman. There is interest among our businesses to do more, especially given the opportunities generated by Oman’s transformative Vision 2040 economic agenda, such as in renewable energy and tourism.

  7.  Singapore can also serve as Oman’s launch pad into Southeast Asia, leveraging on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Singapore Free Trade Agreement (GSFTA), which Singapore hopes to upgrade. For instance, Asyad Shipping set up a Singapore office last year, while SOHAR Port and Free Zone held an outreach event three months ago. I welcome more Omani companies to do likewise.

  8.  As a friend and partner of Oman, Singapore is happy to share its development experiences, such as through the long-running Regional Institute for Infrastructure Development (RIID) in Muscat.

    1.  Over 690 Omani officials have attended courses covering areas such as civil aviation, urban development, and information and communications technology.

    2.  Our Civil Service College has also collaborated with the Royal Academy of Management on leadership courses for Omani senior officials.

  9.  We have also benefitted from Oman’s insights and perspectives, and look forward to both sides learning from each other, and opening up new areas of collaboration.

  10.  In closing, I would like to wish Your Majesty the best of health and success, and the people of Oman continued peace and prosperity. May the friendship between Singapore and Oman endure and flourish.

  11.  Shukran! (Thank you!)

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