ABU DHABI // Singapore’s first resident ambassador is returning home after 10 years in the Middle East, impressed by how the UAE “punches above its weight” in the region and the world.
“When you diversify beyond oil, you need to have your human resources beyond that and I think the UAE has the right vision about how it develops its own people,” said Umej Bhatia.
Mr Bhatia spent more than five years at the embassy in Abu Dhabi, and was also consul general in Dubai. Before that he represented Singapore in Doha.
“I am happy I’ve had enough time to build relationships because here in the UAE it is very important to work on understanding the country, being connected. It was my responsibility for upgrading the level of the relationship and give it some depth.
“If you look at Singapore and the UAE, we have a fundamental meeting of mindsets because we’re both small but successful countries with similar challenges for development, so we’re forced to be open with the world.
“Geographically, we’re both hubs and both leaderships are focused on delivering good governance to their people, they punch above their weight in the regional and global arena.”
Mr Bhatia helped to establish the Singapore-UAE Joint Committee, and officials from the UAE regularly visit Singapore to study education, human resource development, national service and labour.
“They also look at governance, combating extremism, securing borders, fin-tech, financial governance and security,” Mr Bhatia said.
“These visits have created a certain common understanding of how each operates. Singapore is seen as a country that has managed to fine-tune its ability to govern and we are a living lab in a way for successful good governance.”
The UAE is Singapore’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and has the largest community of Singaporeans in the region, about 4,000.
“I see my job as trying to create relationships based on similarities,” said Mr Bhatia.
“Relationships in this part of the world are very personal so given the similar challenges and mindsets, if I can just help make a meeting happen, the minds will create all the synergies that follow.
“For an ambassador, the most important thing is to make sure you have policy continuity. I’m feeling very happy professionally because we’ve achieved objectives we set out to bring the relationship to a higher level. On a personal level, it’s will be difficult from my perspective or my family’s not to be able to see the friends we made and colleagues. I will miss that dynamic.”
Mishaal Al Gergawi, managing director of the Delma Institute, a think tank in Abu Dhabi, knows the ambassador well.
“Historically, the relationship has been primarily an economic one, including trade and maritime, and I think he was quite successful in bridging that.
“The most obvious and fundamental point is that the UAE plays a role very similar to one that Singapore plays in its region. It’s a small country, well run, and it inspires, like an incubator that shows other larger countries with longer histories and complex bureaucracies and legacies how change can be achieved. So there’s a lot of empathy with the role that they play.”
Dr Albadr Al Shateri, politics professor at the National Defence College, said the two countries were similar in how they transformed into models of economic and political success.
“In both cases, powerful and inspiring leaders played crucial roles in such transformation – Sheikh Zayed for the UAE and Lee Kuan Yew for Singapore,” he said.
“The UAE is seeking to transform itself from an oil to a knowledge-based economy and Singapore could play an important role to realise such a goal. They both seek to secure their achievements, which provides for common ground for cooperation.”
cmalek@thenational.ae