SINGAPORE companies looking to expand into the booming capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi, would be pleased to know that opportunity could soon be knocking on their doors.

Mr Hussain Al-Nowais, chairman of Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation, which invests in steel, aluminium and petrochemicals, said that the oil-rich emirate is investing over US$500 billion in various sectors of its economy.

Those would include the energy, hospitality, real estate and infrastructure industries and would 'create opportunities for Singapore companies who can provide services to the industries,' he said.

Examples of major projects in Abu Dhabi which Singapore can potentially get a piece of the action from, are the creation of the Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone, in which US$10 billion has been invested, and the Union Railway, where US$5 billion has been poured into.

Mr Hussain cited examples of prominent Abu Dhabi-Singapore partnerships in the past, such as the emirate's investment company Mubadala going into joint venture with CapitaLand to create real estate company Capitala and plastics solutions company Borouge setting up its Asia Pacific office in Singapore.

To underscore the exciting possiblities, trade between UAE and Singapore is also flourishing, having risen 4.3 per cent to US$8.2 billion last year.

UAE is also Singapore's second largest trading partner in the Middle East. Exports from Singapore to UAE went up from US$3.4 billion in 2006 to US$3.53 billion in 2007.

Exports from UAE to Singapore had also increased from US$4.46 billion to US$4.64 billion in 2006 and 2007.

'Singapore is a key player in helping to shape the future of Abu Dhabi,' Mr Hussain said.

'Together, we can take our partnership from strength to strength.'

Mr Hussain is a visitor to Singapore under the Middle East Eminent Persons Programme, which is organised by the Singapore International Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He was here since Monday and leaves Singapore today.