Senior Minister of Defense Zaki Mohamad attended the 19th Manama Dialogue held in Bahrain from November 17 to 19, 2023. The annual dialogue, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, is an important security forum for senior national defense, security and foreign affairs officials. We discuss security challenges in the Middle East and other regions around the world.
While in Bahrain, Mr. Zaki was invited to lunch by Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain. The Prime Minister also welcomed His Highness Lt. General Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, National Security Adviser and Commander of the Guards of Bahrain, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Commander of the Land Forces of the Bahrain Defense Forces; met with the National Security Advisor. His Majesty the King in charge of foreign affairs, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. The two leaders reaffirmed the warm bilateral and defense ties between Singapore and Bahrain.
Alongside the Manama Dialogue, Mr. Zaki also spoke with China’s Special Envoy for the Middle East Zai Jun, Germany’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Tobias Lindner, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim Mohamed Al-Budawi, and Saudi Arabia’s Jassim Mohamed.・I also had a separate meeting with Mr. Al-Budawi. Dr. Khalid Al-Biyali, Under-Secretary of Defense for Administration, Dr. Anwar Gargash, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates, and Lieutenant General Muhsen Mohamed Al-Dairi, Minister of Defense of Yemen. During the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on regional and global security trends and reaffirmed the bilateral defense relationship.
Singapore has been participating in the Manama Dialogue since its inception in 2004. The 19th Manama Dialogue was attended by over 500 government officials from over 40 government delegations.