Zeng Ze Qun, a 23-year-old Chinese student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), was arrested after he was caught filming his female housemate in the shower.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the 22-year-old female student and Zeng had rented a private accommodation in the west of Singapore.

Caught filming

On Aug. 18 at about 9:25pm, Zeng was eating dinner in the kitchen when he realised that his housemate had gone to shower.

He kept his unfinished food in the refrigerator and slipped to the toilet, where he put his arm through the window and started filming with his phone.

The woman noticed this and screamed, before she dressed herself and left the bathroom, Shin Min reported.

Hearing her scream, Zeng stopped filming and fled to a nearby mall.

He quickly deleted the videos he had taken to cover up his crime.

He eventually returned home, where he was arrested by police who had arrived at the scene.

Filmed her 10 times in two months

According to charge sheets, Zeng had recorded the female resident a total of 10 times between Jun. 20 and Aug. 18.

He filmed her while she was in the shower and when she was undressed in her room.

The court has issued a gag order that prevents identification of the victim.

Zeng testified that secretly filming others made him feel excited, and he used it as a way to relieve academic pressure and anxiety, reported Shin Min.

He would delete the videos he took about a week after he filmed them; the police were unable to recover these videos from his phone.

The prosecution urged the judge to hand Zeng a jail sentence of at least six and a half months.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel noted that he is in his final semester of his Master of Science programme at NUS, and requested that Zeng be allowed to defer his sentence so that he may complete his studies, as reported by Shin Min.

Zeng pled guilty on Oct. 20, and will be sentenced on Dec. 16.

A wanton mee stall in Toa Payoh has suspended its business after one of the owners was recently diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer and has now started chemotherapy.

Pin Xiang Wanton Mee, located at Toa Payoh Lor 4, has become a neighbourhood favourite since it began serving customers in 1993.

The notice put up at the shuttered stall, shared on Facebook on Oct. 20, simply stated that the closure was "due to personal circumstances".

It was a "difficult decision", and the owners are "unable to confirm if or when [they] will return", the notice added.

The diagnosis

He Mei Fa, 57, who runs the stall with his 52-year-old wife Ye Xue Ying (both names transliterated), revealed to Shin Min Daily News that he got the news on his birthday on Oct. 5.

Ye's birthday fell on the following day.

The couple could not believe it when they learnt about his diagnosis.

Despite having high blood pressure and diabetes, He had always thought he was still rather healthy.

But he started losing weight earlier in the year, and by October, he was feeling unwell and fatigued. After a health checkup, the doctor told him he had cancer.

Although it came as an unexpected blow, He is determined to face his cancer with a positive mind, and even jokingly asked his doctor whether he could still continue to run the stall.

He understood, however, that he needed to get healthy to support his family and not worry them.

Support from his family

His wife, who was devastated by his diagnosis, is his greatest source of support, Shin Min reported him as saying.

To allow him to rest during his treatment, the couple decided to suspend the stall's operations.

After finishing one round of chemotherapy, He would get tired more easily, but has felt no major impact on his daily life.

As his original plan to visit Xinjiang with his wife was cancelled, he hopes to take her to Finland after his recovery.

His older daughter described He a great father who used to take her and her sister cycling and to the library when he was free.

"He often said that we weren't wealthy, but since we were young, he signed us up for piano, drawing, and swimming lessons," she said.

Concern from customers

Over the 30 years that Pin Xiang Wanton Mee has been in operation, the stall often sees long queues of customers, according to Shin Min.

Many of their customers have become friends, and would even invite them to go on trips together, He shared.

A regular customer posted on Facebook that he was "really affected and sad to hear that Uncle fell sick", and wished that he would get well soon.

Speaking to Shin Min, He said he was grateful for the customers' concern, and hopes to reopen the stall when he gets better.

He added that he had talked to his two daughters about a potential takeover of the business in the future. If they are willing, he would help them out.

Malaysian MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has hit back at Indonesian former trade minister Muhammad Lutfi.

This was after Lutfi criticised the lawmaker’s call for stronger regional action against Indonesia over the haze.

In a video posted on Oct. 21, the Muar MP said companies proven to have started forest fires should face action, regardless of whether they are Malaysian, Indonesian or Singaporean.

“I will not shield polluters, even those from my own country,” he said in Malay.

His response came after Lutfi criticised his call for Indonesia to be treated as an “outcast” in ASEAN over the recurring transboundary haze.

Lutfi: Haze is not a stage for “cheap political theatre”

On Oct. 20, Lutfi uploaded an Instagram video alleging Syed called on ASEAN to treat Indonesia as an “outcast” over the haze.

His remarks came in response to Syed’s call in Malaysia parliament for ASEAN countries to exert diplomatic and financial pressure on Indonesia over the recurring haze.

In the caption accompanying his Instagram video, Lutfi wrote: “Wildfire smoke is a tragedy, not a stage for cheap political theatre.”

He claimed Malaysian plantation giants controlled up to 3.4 million hectares in Indonesia, with financing from Malaysian banks, while profits from downstream processing flowed to Kuala Lumpur.

Lutfi said corporations should be held accountable regardless of nationality, but objected to criticism directed at Indonesia as a whole:

“But never insult an entire nation that gave your industries the land and licences to thrive,” he wrote.

At the end of his video, he added: “If you don’t understand how this business works, don’t make my whole country a target.”

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Muhammad Lutfi (@m.lutf

Syed's response

In a response video, Syed said he supported punishing Malaysian or Singaporean companies if evidence established their involvement in the fires.

However, he pointed out that the companies operating in Indonesia were subject to Indonesian law, saying: “The power is in your hands!”

Syed added that he had called for action against Malaysian companies involved in the fires in the same parliamentary sitting, and urged Lutfi to watch his full speech.

“Don’t cut my speech to the point that you cut out the truth,” he said.

Addressing Lutfi’s reference to Malaysian plantation group SD Guthrie, Syed argued that having large plantations did not itself prove wrongdoing.

He said there was no evidence so far that the company had started the fires.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Syed Saddiq (@syedsaddiq)

Syed challenges Lutfi’s use of Greenpeace figures

Syed also challenged Lutfi’s interpretation of a Greenpeace report, accusing him of presenting only part of the picture.

He contrasted the 19 smoke-source points recorded in a concession linked to Malaysian plantation group Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) with the wider figure of 6,811 cited in the report.

“Do you want us to focus only on the contributor accounting for 0.3 per cent, rather than the other 99.7 per cent?” he asked. “Don’t speak out loudly against one name, then stay silent about the others.”

Greenpeace’s report recorded 6,811 smoke-source points across Indonesia between Aug. 8 and Oct. 1, 2026.

These are locations where smoke from forest and land fires was detected.

The 19 points recorded within a concession linked to KLK formed part of that total, accounting for approximately 0.3 per cent.

Call for unity

Syed said the issue was about people who wanted clean air standing against those polluting it.

In his accompanying caption, he wrote: “The profits go into companies’ accounts. The smoke goes into people’s lungs.”

He also stressed that children in both Malaysia and Indonesia were struggling to breathe.

“Our flags may be different, but our need to breathe is the same,” Syed said.

Lutfi's string of accusations

Lutfi’s remarks are part of a series of criticisms and allegations directed at Singapore and Malaysia, which he has accused of benefiting from businesses operating in Indonesia while leaving the country to bear the environmental costs.

In earlier Instagram videos addressing Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, he questioned whether Singapore would pursue influential business owners and corporate groups linked to the fires, rather than stop at issuing notices to companies in Indonesia.

Separately, Lutfi alleged, without providing evidence, that GIC and Temasek had pressured global index provider MSCI to threaten a downgrade of Indonesia’s stock market status, triggering panic so foreign investors could buy Indonesian assets cheaply.

Who is Mohammad Lutfi?

Lutfi served as trade minister under then-president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo from December 2020 to June 2022.

He left the post when Jokowi appointed Zulkifli Hasan as his replacement in a cabinet reshuffle on Jun. 15, 2022.

He had previously held the same portfolio from February to October 2014 under then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

In August 2023, Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office questioned Lutfi as a witness in a corruption investigation involving export approvals for crude palm oil and related products, including cooking oil, Antara reported.

The case concerned export approvals issued during a domestic cooking oil shortage in 2022.

According to Reuters, prosecutors alleged that permits had been issued to companies that had not fulfilled domestic supply requirements.

Antara reported in August 2023 that five people, including the Trade Ministry’s former director-general of foreign trade, had received prison sentences in the case.

Lao Ban Soya Beancurd has added the 10 cents BCRS refundable charge to their soya milk drink.

In a Facebook post made on Oct. 21, the popular soya milk chain announced that the drink cups would be eligible for return at BCRS machines.

Lao Ban said it has charged the deposit since Oct. 1, about three weeks before the post. That is the date NEA’s six-month transition period ended, after which all regulated beverage containers must carry the deposit.

In September, photos circulated on Facebook showing the BCRS refund sticker affixed to their soya milk drink cups.

Backlash

The post garnered significant backlash, with many users complaining about the additional hassle of bringing the cups to a machine to receive their refund, and potential effects on their business.

Some users also expressed indignation as they thought that such beverages were exempt from the scheme.

However, Lao Ban clarified that their containers do indeed fall under the BCRS scheme.

This is because their drink products are made in a central kitchen and distributed to retail outlets and supermarkets, and therefore fall under the category of pre-packaged drinks.

According to the National Environment Agency's (NEA) website, all pre-packaged beverages are included in the scheme.

Only freshly-prepared drinks – that is, drinks made and sold in the same premises, or prepared at a central F&B establishment for sale by the same food business operator – are exempt.

A Singaporean man recently made headlines after winning fifth place in his first-ever bodybuilding competition in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia.

But Muhammad Aidil Mohamed Sis, 37, did not originally intend to enter the sport.

He started training in November 2025 as a means to lose weight, intending to become fitter to keep up with his young daughters, seven and 11.

Wanted to keep up with daughters

Aidil told Berita Harian that after reaching 92kg in 2025, he realised he needed to change the way he lived. 

He would get tired easily while doing activities with his daughters, he said, which prevented him from spending time with them for long.

The broadcast presenter and freelance fitness trainer had been interested in bodybuilding for a long time, but never had enough confidence and the right supervision to participate in competitions.

After he began training with a trainer in November 2025, he met others who were participating in bodybuilding competitions.

They, as well as Aidil's wife, encouraged him to prepare for a competition in January 2026.

According to him, the hardest part of the training regime was not in the gym, but rather in controlling his diet.

The sweet-toothed man said he had to limit his intake of sweet treats and sometimes opted for sugar-free alternatives.

To avoid burdening his wife, a homemaker, he would also weigh and proportion his own food.

He also had to balance his time between training at the gym, cardio exercises, work and family, which sometimes required sacrificing his free time.

"People may only see the few minutes we spend on stage, but they don't see the sacrifices that take months behind the scenes," he told Berita Harian.

"One thing I always remember is that we can pursue our dreams, but we must not forget the people who are always by our side."

10-month transformation

On Aug. 29, Aidil shared his transformation journey over 10 months on his own Instagram page, writing: "If you really put your mind to something and stay consistent, you CAN do it."

"I can finally say that I’ve achieved one of the best physiques I’ve ever had in my life," he wrote in the caption.

He was also announced as the fifth place winner in the First Timer Men's Physique Competitor category of the PCA Malaysian Championships in KL on Oct. 11.

According to Berita Harian, Aidil was one of only two Singaporeans among 12 contestants in the category.

"For some people, fifth place might not be a big deal," he told the media outlet.

A couple from China realised they were not able to sustain themselves after illegally staying in Singapore for about 19 years.

Ding Hui Yun and her husband, Huang Dong Ming, both 68, later turned themselves in to the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA)’s repatriation division, hoping to be deported back to China.

Ding has now been sentenced to six months in jail and a fine of S$2,000 in lieu of caning.

She pleaded guilty to one charge of violating the Immigration Act and overstaying her special pass for 19 years, two months, and 23 days.

A second charge of failing to comply with her special pass conditions was taken into consideration.

However, she will have to serve an additional 12 days in lieu as the fine was not paid.

Huang was set to appear in court with Ding on Oct. 6, but did not turn up as he was sick, reported CNA.

He faces one charge of violating the Immigration Act and overstaying for 18 years, 10 months, and three days.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 29.

Overstayed

In May 2007, Ding reportedly entered Singapore illegally and was sentenced to four weeks in jail and a S$1,500 fine in lieu of caning.

After serving her sentence, ICA issued her a special pass that allowed her to remain in Singapore until mid-July of the same year as a prosecution witness, CNA reported.

However, she failed to report to the authorities when her pass expired and chose to remain in Singapore to reportedly escape debts owed by her family in China. She stayed illegally in Singapore for 19 years.

She then made a living by picking up odd jobs during her overstay.

Surrendered

On Oct. 6, Ding and her husband turned themselves in to the ICA’s repatriation division after being unable to make ends meet.

Neither Ding nor Huang had a passport, only Chinese household registration documents, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

In court, the ICA prosecutor asked for the maximum sentence of six months’ jail and a S$2,000 fine in lieu of caning.

Through an interpreter, Ding pleaded for leniency on the grounds that she turned herself in and that she suffers from diabetes.

She also asked that she and her husband be deported together as he suffered from high blood pressure, so that they could take care of each other on the way back to China.

For staying illegally in Singapore, an offender can be sentenced to a maximum of six months’ imprisonment and at least three strokes of the cane.

If caning is not applicable, a fine of up to S$6,000 will be imposed in lieu of caning.

Miss Universe Singapore Vion Erico Tan will not be going to Puerto Rico to compete in the Miss Universe pageant on Nov. 24, 2026.

This is due to an ongoing franchise dispute.

Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos will also not be represented.

Miss Grand International (MGI) said in an Oct. 21 statement that “consultation with the relevant parties, national organisations and the six representatives” led to the decision.

The statement added: “Their non-participation shall not constitute a voluntary withdrawal, relinquishment, surrender, abandonment or waiver of any contractual rights held by MGI.”

The Miss Universe Singapore Organisation said on Oct. 22 that it fully supports the decision and the team had been "actively preparing" for Tan's participation and will continue with preparations "of representing Singapore at Miss Universe 2027, in a different host country".

In an Instagram post, Tan said the news hit her harder than she can "put into words": "I need a little time to gather my thoughts and process everything before I share more about what comes next."

Franchise dispute

The non-participation stemmed from an ongoing franchise disagreement, where franchise agreements across the six South-east Asian nations were not recognised.

The dispute is between Miss Universe Eastern and media conglomerate JKN, which owns the Miss Universe pageant.

JKN holds the legal rights and licensing to the Miss Universe brand and operates as the Miss Universe Organization.

The franchise rights for the six countries are owned by Miss Universe Eastern, led by Thai pageant director Nawat Itsaragrisil.

JKN had previously stated in September 2026 that Miss Universe franchise agreements across the six Southeast Asian countries were not recognised, raising questions about their representatives' eligibility to compete.

MGI – also owned by Itsaragrisil – said in its statement that it "respects Puerto Rico and its people" and "does not wish to see the host destination itself unfairly affected by a corporate dispute unrelated to them".

Rehearsals and promotional events in Puerto Rico start on Nov. 8.

The grand finale will be on Nov. 24.

Three teenagers in Malaysia were electrocuted after strong winds pushed the big flags they were carrying into power lines.

They were carrying the flags as part of a Nine Emperor Gods Festival procession.

One of the three teens, a 16-year-old, suffered burns to 80 per cent of his body.

The 16-year-old succumbed to his injuries after spending a week in the hospital.

16-year-old passes after one week in hospital

After suffering the electrocution, the 16-year-old, Xu Zhi Kang (transliteration), was taken to the hospital.

The incident occurred during a Nine Emperor Gods Festival procession in Kedah, Malaysia, on Oct. 13.

He was the most seriously injured of the three teenagers.

On Oct. 19, the teenager underwent a skin graft operation that lasted eight to nine hours, Sin Chew Daily reported.

However, his immune system remained weak and his condition continued to be unstable post-operation.

He succumbed to his injuries on Oct. 21 at about 1am.

Xu suffered burns to 80 per cent of his body.

Outgoing, excellent student

Xu's father remembers him as an outgoing boy who was full of life, Sin Chew Daily wrote.

He had been a basketball player and volunteered as a firefighter.

Xu was also an excellent student who was in the top class.

The 16-year-old was the eldest of six siblings.

He was well-loved by his siblings, and his departure has left them in grief, Sin Chew Daily wrote.

"Dad, dad, dad"

After learning about what happened, Xu's father said he rushed to the hospital.

When Xu saw him arrive, Xu cried out to him three times.

He also told his father that he felt cold.

His father then covered him with a blanket and told him to get a good rest.

This was the father and son's final exchange.

It was in 2010 when Lee* found himself on the streets.

He'd lost his job and his marriage had broken down. To financially support his son and his ageing parents, he sold his flat.

He still recalls his first night sleeping rough. It was in a park, near a sex worker district.

He struggled to sleep; when he finally succeeded, he woke up to find his shoes missing.

"I'd never slept outside in my whole life," he tells Mothership. It was meant to be a temporary measure while he looked for a rental flat.

In the end, Lee would spend the next 10 years on the streets of Singapore.

The invisible people

Lee recalls how he would sleep in corridors, parks, beaches. He'd use a piece of cardboard as his mattress, and his bag as his pillow.

To dodge the police, he'd wake up early, around 5am.

Eventually, he met other rough sleepers, who told him where to get free food, where to shower. Temples and churches and stadiums with public toilets.

Some nights, he faced "prowlers": people who would lurk in such areas, attempting to steal from the rough sleepers as they slept.

"[One of them] tried to snatch my handphone," he recalls. "Even though we are so poor."

In the day, he'd work in F&B. He only returned late at night, past 10pm, to avoid any misunderstandings from the public.

"They think we are bad people," he says.

"Because of the way people look at you, I never tell people I'm a rough sleeper.

...When you're sleeping on the road, what can you have? You have nothing.

It's not that I want [to be in these] circumstances, right? Your marriage breaks down, you lose your job. The only alternative is sleeping out."

Dealing with doubt

Today, Lee is off the streets and safely in a rental flat.

After he fell sick and became unable to work, he approached a social worker, who referred him to New Hope Community Services — a social service agency which runs transitional shelters in Singapore for rough sleepers.

But he is just one of the hundreds of people in Singapore who find themselves out on the streets every year.

Each with an entirely unique story of their own. While at a fundraising event at New Hope, I also met Cedric* — cheerful, well-spoken, and a father-of-two.

The Singaporean shared that he first ended up on the streets in 2017, when he was essentially kicked out of the house by his mother.

He'd met a woman, his now-wife, who is Indonesian. "My mother, my own mother, couldn't understand why I had to get into a relationship with a foreigner. She couldn't accept it," he tells us.

For a while, things seemed to be getting better. They were married in 2018, and managed to get a rental flat.

But one day, he was abruptly evicted. "[The landlord] said, 'go and pack your stuff, then you move'. Three days only," he says wryly.

With his wife and two young children in tow, he returned to the same place he slept at previously: the beach.

The worst part

"The first night, we didn't have any tentage, we didn't have any blankets, nothing. So it was just really cold," he recalls.

Eventually, they acquired more necessities: tents, LED lights.

But every morning, they had to wake up at 4:30am to evacuate before the authorities descended on the place.

"We'd pack and tie it up with a string, then put it up a tree so the cleaners don't sweep away your things," he says. His wife would bring the kids to a nearby shopping mall and wait for the library to open, and he would head to work.

To save money, he walked — around eight or nine kilometres. But he was constantly late as a result.

Eventually, his performance at work began to deteriorate. "That's how suddenly I was out of the house, I had no job, and my children [to take care of]."

As difficult it was to deal with the exhaustion and insecurity, Cedric tells me that the worst part was feeling like a failure.

"That you cannot provide even a simple thing as a roof over the head," he confesses.

"The hardest part as a father was when [on the weekends]. All the families would be there enjoying themselves. Then... at 7pm, the beach suddenly goes quiet.

That means everybody had a place to go home to. But you are still down here."

Bouncing back

Like Lee, Cedric has since found a rental flat with the help of New Hope.

It was a somewhat bittersweet twist of fate that led him here: after avoiding the police for so long, they were eventually caught.

But they were brought to the New Hope shelter, where Cedric went for a course, attended career coaching, and did part-time jobs to save up for a rental.

Now, he's found a stable new job in security, which it's clear he's proud of. His children are older; their memories of sleeping on the beach are distant.

To them, the beach is just another place for family outings.

The couple are "very ambitious", he tells me. Despite their past struggles, they are working towards a BTO flat. They've have even come up with a retirement plan.

As for Lee, the peace and safety of having a home for his retirement — after all those years on the streets — is something he cherishes deeply.

He stays home, he reads the Bible, he goes for walks. He keeps fish and plants. Some days he cooks his own meals.

"I'm happy, I'm healthy," he says. "I can have my own meal, I can do whatever I want. Even though it's a small flat... It's comfortable lah."

*Not their real names

Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intend to launch negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an Oct. 21 press statement.

This was announced by Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and President and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Warm, longstanding relations

An earlier report mentioned that PM Wong's official visit includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Oct. 18 to 22.

On Oct. 21, PM Wong was received by President Sheikh Mohamed, who hosted a lunch in his honour.

Both leaders reaffirmed the warm and longstanding relations between Singapore and the UAE, underpinned by broad based cooperation under the Singapore–UAE Comprehensive Partnership.

It was established in 2019 during President Sheikh Mohamed's official visit to Singapore.

A joint statement between both countries noted that they had previously commemorated the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025.

Similarly, Singapore has established Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships (CSPs) with other countries including Australia (CSP 2.0), New Zealand, France, India and Vietnam.

CEPA, joint forum

The CEPA will deepen economic integration, facilitate trade and investment flows, and create opportunities for businesses in both countries, the MFA statement wrote.

It added that both leaders also noted the positive outcomes of the 17th Abu Dhabi–Singapore Joint Forum (ADSJF) in Singapore on Sep. 28, 2026, which saw the signing and renewal of MOUs on investment, capacity-building, and industrial development.

Both sides recognised the important role of these engagements in enhancing bilateral coordination and expanding cooperation in key areas, including energy, infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

According to the joint statement, both sides also reaffirmed the importance of the ADSJF in advancing economic cooperation.

Memoranda of Understanding

In addition, PM Wong and President Sheikh Mohamed witnessed the exchange of three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs).

The first was between the Singapore's Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company on a Joint Energy Taskforce.

The second was between Singapore's PUB and the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy on Water Cooperation.

The third was between the National Environment Agency (NEA) in Singapore and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre on Cooperation in Vector Control.

Joint Energy Taskforce

According to the joint statement, both sides welcomed the establishment of the Joint Energy Taskforce under the ambit of the ADSJF.

This is to explore opportunities and deepen cooperation across the energy value chain, including trading, infrastructure, and downstream activities.

Both sides also welcomed ongoing cooperation in nuclear energy, involving the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC).

Strong economic ties

The joint statement further noted that both sides welcomed the strong economic ties between the UAE and Singapore, calling the countries important commercial partners and gateways to the Middle East and Southeast Asia respectively.

It added that the UAE is Singapore's largest trading partner and investment destination in the Middle East and North Africa region, with total non-oil bilateral trade reaching approximately US$6.5 billion (S$8.3 billion) in 2025, achieving a growth of 25 per cent from 2024.

Both sides agreed to work towards further expanding trade and investment ties and advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including energy, technology, financial services, logistics, infrastructure and the digital economy.

They also welcomed Temasek's announcement of deepening its presence in the UAE by establishing an office in Abu Dhabi.

Partnership Agreement, UN Water Conference

According to the joint statement, both sides also welcomed the substantive progress towards the UAE’s accession to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA).

They looked forward to concluding the accession process, with Singapore serving as Chair of the UAE's Accession Working Group, and both sides being founding members and co-convenors of the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership (FITP).

Both sides also commended preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, the statement added.

It will be co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, West Africa in Abu Dhabi from Dec. 8 to 10, strengthening partnerships, mobilising finance and investment, and advancing practical and scalable solutions to global water challenges.

Global business, financial hubs

PM Wong also said in an Oct. 21 Facebook post that Singapore and Dubai have much in common.

Calling both "global business and financial hubs", he added that they have economies built on openness, connectivity and enterprise.

PM Wong highlighted his meeting with Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and First Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

"We had a useful exchange on our shared priorities, from strengthening our financial sectors and economic competitiveness to supporting families and building more liveable communities," he said.

"There is much we can learn from each other’s experiences as we navigate new challenges and plan for the future," PM Wong added, noting that he looks forward to "deepening cooperation and strengthening the friendship between Singapore and Dubai".

Met Singaporeans

PM Wong mentioned in a separate post on Oct. 22 that he was glad to catch up with Singaporean communities living and working in Qatar and the UAE.

"Through their work and everyday interactions, they help to build bridges between Singapore and their host countries," he said.

PM Wong added: "I know the recent developments in the Middle East have been unsettling for Singaporeans in the region, as well as their families and loved ones back home."

"That is why we arranged repatriation flights during the conflict to help Singaporeans who wished to return home."

"We will always look out for our people and do everything we can to keep them safe."

Difficult period for UAE, wider Middle East

In that regard, PM Wong acknowledged in a different Oct. 21 Facebook post that it has been a difficult period for the UAE and the wider Middle East.

"Through these challenging times, Singapore stands with the UAE as a trusted partner and friend," he said.

He added that he spoke with "UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan soon after the conflict broke out in March to express Singapore's solidarity and support, and to thank him for looking after Singaporeans in the UAE".

PM Wong said: "I was glad to meet him in person in Abu Dhabi, on my first Official Visit to the UAE as Prime Minister.

"The UAE is Singapore's largest trading partner in the Middle East. Our economic ties are strong, and we see good potential to deepen cooperation in areas such as AI, digitalisation, energy, defence and space."

He added that taking their economic partnership further and starting discussions on CEPA will create new opportunities for businesses and people.

"We also exchanged views on regional developments and the importance of restoring peace and stability in the Middle East," PM Wong said.

He added: "We discussed how to strengthen ties between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council, especially as Singapore prepares to chair ASEAN in 2027.

"Singapore and the UAE share many common interests and perspectives."

"In an increasingly troubled world, our partnership matters more than ever. By working together and combining our complementary strengths, we can achieve far more than either of us could on our own."