We are excited to announce that the Chair of the State of Qatar in Islamic Area Studies at Waseda University will be organizing the Majlis@Waseda on July 10, 2025. We would like to share with you some important details about the event:
Small State, Pragmatic Politics: Singapore’s View of the Middle East
Dr. Clemens Chay
Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute
July 10, 17:30-19:00
Waseda University Building 3, Room 405
When Singapore’s former Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong attended the Jeddah Economic Forum in 2005, he outlined the “opportunities for economic cooperation” with Middle Eastern countries, given the region’s “vast potential”. Singapore’s ties — at that time — with Saudi Arabia, were limited, although the kingdom was the city-state’s largest trading partner in the Middle East. Twenty years on, it is Riyadh’s neighbour, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that is Singapore’s largest trading partner in the Middle East. On the bilateral level, Singapore’s relations with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have grown steadily since the signing of a free trade agreement in 2013.
Although the Gulf Arab states have increasingly shifted into focus in terms of Singapore’s interests in the Middle East, the foreign policy purview of small Southeast Asian state goes beyond mere economics. The ongoing war-ridden situation in Gaza and conflicts in other parts of the region are regarded as having social implications for Singapore’s public order. Likewise, the blockade of Qatar (2017-21) by the quartet of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt, was hotly debated in Singapore. These examples signify a form of defensive approach to the region and equally mirror Singapore’s staunch support of a rules-based international order. This presentation will address the above themes and more.
Speaker bio:
Dr Clemens Chay is a research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute (MEI). His research focuses on the domestic and geopolitical affairs of the Gulf states. At MEI he spearheads a public education series entitled “Bridging the Gulf”. His commentaries also feature across different outlets, including ISPI, KFCRIS, and AGSIW. He is currently working on a book project related to Kuwait’s diwaniyas (more widely known as majalis outside Kuwait), the reception rooms for informal meetings that have implications for society, politics, and diplomacy. Prior to joining MEI, Dr Chay was the Al-Sabah fellow at Durham University, where he taught and completed his PhD in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, and where he also received an MSc in defence, development and diplomacy. He is also a Sciences Po Paris alumnus, having read his BA at the Menton campus.
Please pre-register if you wish to attend at: https://forms.gle/NHwJJZMmwjNemrTX7
