Kuwait’s Defense Minister participates in Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Sabah, took part in the opening ceremony of the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue Asian Security Summit, which commenced on Friday in Singapore. The high-profile summit, spanning three days, is attended by defense ministers, military leaders, heads of state and government, and security experts from 47 countries.

According to a statement issued by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense today, the summit’s opening day featured a series of key bilateral and multilateral meetings. On the sidelines of the event, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ali met with Zaki Mohammed, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Defense and Minister for Environment and Sustainability, to discuss enhancing cooperation between Kuwait and Singapore, especially in the defense and security fields, according to news reports.

During the meeting, Al-Ali congratulated Singapore on the 60th anniversary of its independence, highlighting the strong historical ties between the two nations, which span more than 40 years. He emphasized Kuwait’s interest in further deepening bilateral cooperation, particularly in military affairs.

In addition to the bilateral talks, Sheikh Abdullah held high-level discussions with global leaders — French President Emmanuel Macron, East Timor President José Ramos-Horta, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Singaporean Minister for Digital Development, Information, and Cybersecurity Josephine Teo.

These meetings focused on strategic challenges, regional and international developments, and joint efforts to promote global security and stability.

The summit’s agenda features in-depth discussions on critical global issues such as strategic balance in a competitive world, nuclear proliferation risks, cybersecurity threats, defense innovation, maritime security and regional crisis management.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), is considered Asia’s premier defense summit, offering a platform for frank policy discussions and building trust among regional and international stakeholders.