Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are exploring possible cooperation in the areas of space technologies, 5G and artificial intelligence as well as public-sector partnerships, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.
During the 13th Abu Dhabi-Singapore Joint Forum (ADSJF) that was held virtually last March 22, it was noted that despite the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAE remains Singapore’s largest trading partner and investment destination in the Middle East and North Africa region, with bilateral trade amounting to S$12.8 billion in 2020.
“Bilateral relations between Singapore and Abu Dhabi have come a long way since the first ADSJF in 2007, and have continued to strengthen even amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said S Iswaran, Singapore minister-in-charge of trade relations.
Iswaran said they also discussed enabling the exchange of electronic trade documents using TradeTrust2 and identified new areas for collaboration in the green economy, such as Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and hydrogen.
Enterprise Singapore (ESG) will partner the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to encourage exchanges through joint innovation challenges and co-innovation projects. The joint innovation challenges will be co-organised and facilitated by IPI Singapore.
In the area of AI, ESG is also working with the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority to offer AI solutions from Singapore companies to the UAE government.
On 5G, IMDA will work with Abu Dhabi corporates to feature in-market problem statements in the areas of 5G and IoT on IMDA’s Open Innovation Platform. As important technological enablers, collaborations in the areas of 5G and AI will serve as a pathfinder for Singapore and the UAE companies to better navigate the digital space.
Moving forwad, IMDA is keen to collaborate with the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and key private sector players on the adoption of Singapore’s TradeTrust to support the exchange of digital trade documents used in trade financing.
Singapore’s national space office, the Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn) and the UAE Space Agency also signed a Letter of Intent signaling their mutual interest to collaborate in the areas of space technologies, space law and policies as well as human capital development.
