From F&B to aquaculture, Singaporeans find investment opportunities in Timor-Leste

[DILI] When Julian Chiang landed in Timor-Leste in 2012, the Singaporean was shocked to see chickens and cows on the runway at the airport.

But after several days travelling around the capital Dili, he felt the city had potential for businesses.

More than a decade later, the oil and gas firm where Chiang works as a director now supplies diesel, petroleum and bitumen to various projects in the country. Global Group – which was founded in Singapore and has a presence in other countries in the region – now also owns nine petrol stations in Timor-Leste.

Speaking to The Straits Times on Thursday (July 2), Chiang said: “If you look at the country, there’s a lot of potential for investment.

“This country has potential in construction, agriculture – having been an agrarian-based society – and tourism, with the nice beaches.”

Chiang, 57, is one of about 50 to 60 Singaporeans based in Timor-Leste, some of whom met Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during an overseas Singaporean reception on July 2. The event was held at Palm Springs Hotel Dili during PM Wong’s two-day visit to Timor-Leste.

PM Wong, the first Singapore prime minister to visit Timor-Leste, arrived on July 2, ahead of his meetings with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao on July 3.

In a Facebook post, he said he was looking forward to building cooperation between the two countries. Timor-Leste officially became Asean’s 11th member state on Oct 26, 2025.

Chiang, who is president of the Singapore community association in Timor-Leste involved in bringing Singaporeans living in the country together, said the Singaporeans are involved in a range of fields, including food and beverage, scrap metals and education.

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He shuttles between the two countries, as his family is in Singapore, but spends a majority of his time in Timor-Leste.

Speaking at the reception, Singapore Ambassador to Timor-Leste Teo Lay Cheng said Singapore enjoys “very strong brand equity” in Timor-Leste as a result of how Singaporeans, including business owners, professionals, volunteers and missionaries, portray the values and ethos of Singapore.

Teo is the first resident ambassador to be appointed from Singapore to Dili. She took on the role in April 2026 and her appointment followed the establishment of Singapore’s resident embassy in the city in April 2024.

Among those who are looking to tap the opportunities available in Timor-Leste is Yap Kok Cheng, executive chairman and chief executive of Singapore firm Qian Hu that is involved in ornamental fish business and aquaculture.

The company recently began a joint venture with a Timorese company to tap the country’s rich resources in the sea. Yap, who is based in Singapore, was in Dili to finalise details of the venture.

Said Yap, 48: “Moving into Timor-Leste actually offers us good solutions where it is an untapped market, it is next to a wide, vast sea, and because it just joined Asean.

“We believe that we have the first-mover advantage coming into this industry, tapping the untapped market, sending the sea catch to markets in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.”

In the longer-term, the company aims to use its expertise in aquaculture, or the growing of fish, to bring in the technology to help develop fish farming in Timor-Leste. THE STRAITS TIMES