RELATIONS: ENVOY RIYADH, APRIL 7, SPA -- SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE DR MOHAMMED AMEEN KURDI HAS UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST VISIT TO SINGAPORE BY CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE SECOND DEPUTY PREMIER, DEFENSE AND AVIATION MINISTER AND INSPECTOR GENERAL. IN A STATEMENT TO THE SAUDI PRESS AGENCY, KURDI SAID THE SINGAPOREAN GOVERNMENT HAS MADE ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE RECEPTION OF PRINCE SULTAN IN RECOGNITION OF THE PIONEERING ROLE BEING PLAYED BY THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AT REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARENAS. HE NOTED THAT SINGAPORE IS KEEN ON FURTHER CEMENTING ITS RELATIONS WITH THE KINGDOM. KURDI POINTED OUT THAT THE VISIT COMES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE KINGDOM'S EFFORTS TO BROADEN AND DEEPEN ITS RELATIONS WITH THE INFLUENTIAL COUNTRIES IN ASIA AND FOR ATTRACTING FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND ENTERING THE ASIAN MARKETS. 'THE SAUDI-SINGAPOREAN RELATIONS ARE BASED ON MUTUAL RESPECT', HE SAID ADDING THAT THE VISIT PAID TO THE KINGDOM LAST YEAR BY THE FORMER SINGAPOREAN PREMIER, TSHOK TUNG, WAS A MILESTONE IN THE BILATERAL RELATIONS. THE AMBASSADOR SAID THE SINGAPOREAN GOVERNMENT APPRECIATES THE SERVICES BEING EXTENDED BY THE KINGDOM TO PILGRIMS AND UMRAH (MINOR HAJJ) PERFORMERS. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MUSLIMS IN SINGAPORE CONSTITUTE ABOUT 14 PERCENT OF TOTAL POPULATION WHICH IS ESTIMATED AT FOUR MILLION. 'SINGAPORE IS THE BIGGEST IMPORTER OF THE SAUDI CRUDE OIL AMONG THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN ASSOCIATION, AND AT THE SAME TIME IT COMES NEXT TO INDONESIA AS REGARDS EXPORTS TO THE KINGDOM, AND THE FOURTH AT THE WORLD LEVEL IN TERMS OF IMPORTS FROM THE KINGDOM', HE SAID ADDING THAT THE KINGDOM IS THE SEVENTH BIGGEST EXPORTING COUNTRY TO SINGAPORE, HE NOTED THAT SAUDI EXPORTS TO SINGAPORE AMOUNTED TO $6.15 BILLION IN 2005,WHILE THE KINGDOM'S IMPORTS FROM SINGAPORE AMOUNTED $358 MILLION IN THE SAME YEAR. --SPA 11 17 LOCAL TIME 08 17 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/352188