{
  "id": 15166081,
  "title": "PM Wong to visit Qatar, UAE in first trip to Middle East region since taking office",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/pm-wong-to-visit-qatar-uae-in-first-trip-to-middle-east-region-since-15166081",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T09:00:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/lawrence-wong-qatar-uae-middle-east-visit-6468046"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will embark on an official journey to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from October 18 to 22, marking his inaugural visit to the Middle East region as leader. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) revealed that the trip aims to foster dialogue and cooperation with regional leaders on issues such as energy security and economic resilience. Wong will commence his Middle East visit in Qatar, where he will meet with Emir Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani and co-chair the ninth Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee. The second leg of the trip will take him to Abu Dhabi, UAE, where he will meet with President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan. Both Qatar and the UAE are significant trading partners for Singapore, ranking third and first, respectively, among Gulf Cooperation Council nations in terms of trade. During his visit, Wong will also engage with overseas Singaporeans in Doha and Dubai.",
  "summary": "The visits will provide an opportunity for Singapore to exchange views on recent developments in the region and strengthen cooperation with both countries in areas of mutual interest, such as in energy security and economic resilience, said the PMO.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
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    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}