Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah of Brunei Darussalam concluded an official visit to Singapore this week, where he participated in the 12th Singapore-Brunei Young Leaders’ Programme (YLP). The visit, which took place from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2026, included meetings with Singaporean government officials to discuss bilateral relations.
The Crown Prince, who also serves as Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office of Brunei, led a delegation of Bruneian ministers and senior officials. According to a statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit underscores the longstanding and close ties between the two nations.
During his time in Singapore, the Crown Prince met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The Prime Minister’s Office reported that the leaders reaffirmed the strong partnership between Singapore and Brunei, which covers areas including defense, finance, and education. They also exchanged views on regional and international developments.
The Crown Prince was formally welcomed at the Istana, the official residence of the President of Singapore, where he called on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Official statements noted that their discussions focused on the deep-rooted friendship and multifaceted cooperation that characterize the relationship between the two countries.
A central component of the visit was the Young Leaders’ Programme. Established in 2013, the YLP is an annual exchange designed to foster connections between the next generation of leaders from both Singapore and Brunei. The program provides a platform for participants to engage in discussions on governance and policy, as well as to build personal and professional networks.
The itinerary for the Bruneian delegation included visits to several key Singaporean agencies. These included briefings at the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. The purpose of these visits was to exchange knowledge and best practices in areas of mutual interest.
The Singapore-Brunei relationship is built on a foundation of regular high-level exchanges. The YLP is one of several institutionalized mechanisms for cooperation, alongside engagements between the countries’ armed forces, civil services, and economic agencies. Brunei and Singapore also share a unique monetary agreement, the Currency Interchangeability Agreement, which allows for the currencies of both nations to be used in the other.
The Crown Prince and the Bruneian delegation departed Singapore on Oct. 2, concluding the official visit. The next iteration of the Young Leaders’ Programme is scheduled to be held in Brunei Darussalam.
