SINGAPORE - Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will visit Oman from Oct 12 to 14, as part of Singapore's ongoing engagement with countries in the Middle East.

In Oman, Mr Teo will meet Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said. Mr Teo will be hosted to a meal by the secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Bin Hamood Al Busaidi. He will also meet senior Omani businessmen, and attend a dinner reception for the Singaporean community in Oman.

Mr Teo will be accompanied by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Tan Wu Meng, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies.

The trip is Mr Masagos' first to the Middle East as the new Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.

Mr Masagos will also visit Jordan and Egypt from Oct 14 to 16. He will be accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), including its deputy chief executive, Dr Albakri Ahmad.

While in Jordan, Mr Masagos and members of the delegation will meet the recently-appointed president of University of Jordan, Professor Abdel-Karim Al-Qudah, and other senior officials as well as tour the university's Sharia Faculty.

Mr Masagos will also be engaging Singaporean students in a dialogue.

In Cairo, Egypt, Mr Masagos will be the guest of honour at the Al-Azhar University's annual graduation ceremony for Singaporean students where he is expected to deliver a speech to the graduating class. He will attend a reception and a dialogue with Singaporean students from Al-Azhar University.

While in Egypt, Mr Masagos will also meet the Deputy Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Saleh Abbas, as well as other scholars and thought leaders from the university.