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British billionaire entrepreneur James Dyson has been awarded the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) on Aug. 9, National Day, by the Singapore government.

Highest recognition for foreigners

According to the Economic Development Board (EDB), the Distinguished Friends of Singapore award, initiated by EDB in 1998, is the highest form of national recognition for non-Singaporeans who have made "significant contributions" to the country's economic growth.

In a memo sent to his staff, Dyson, the fonder of the multinational tech company that specialises in household appliances, thanked the government for its support, and said the award is "a great honour and recognition" of the Dyson team in Singapore.

He also credited "wonderful" engineers and scientists from Singapore who are driving "exciting research programmes" with the country's universities, along with the country's emphasis on STEM education and tech development, as the reason why Singapore is a "supportive environment" for a high-tech manufacturer like Dyson.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, Dyson was among the four foreign business leaders who were conferred a Public Service Award.

The other three were Swedish banker Marcus Wallenberg who's on the Temasek International Panel, Shimano Yozo, Singapore's Honorary Consul-General in Osaka, and Bill Winters, the Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Bank.

A total of 67 individuals received the award for their contributions to Singapore.

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Top image via Getty Images