The Arabs are a small but significant community in Singapore. During colonial times, the Arabs played prominent economic roles in the regional, retail, wholesale and production trades, the Muslim pilgrimage industry and real estate development. They were also involved ...

Arab Street lies between Victoria Street and Beach Road in the Kampong Glam area, and was part of the Rochor Planning Area of Singapore’s Central Region. Sir Stamford Raffles had designated the Kampong Glam area as the most appropriate area for Arabs to live in. ...

Built in 1909 by the Alkaff family, one of three prominent Arab property owners in Singapore at the time, Alkaff Arcade was designed by Donald McLeod Craik of architectural firm Swan and MacLaren. Known for its unique Moorish style, particularly its two onion domes ...

Warta Malaya (also known as Warta Melayu) was the first of the independent Malay dailies of the 1930s. Its first issue was published on 1 January 1930. Published in the Jawi script, this Malay newspaper appeared at a time that saw the proliferation of 81 new Malay ...

Syed Ibrahim bin Omar Alsagoff (Dato) (b. 28 April 1899, Mecca–d. 20 July 1975, Singapore), popularly known as S. I. O. Alsagoff, was the head of local Arab companies – Alsagoff & Co. and S. O. Alsagoff. He was also the consul for several Arabic countries, as well ...

Tee Tua Ba (b. 17 June 1942, Singapore–) is a diplomat and a former commissioner of police. Over the course of his 30-year career in the civil service, Tee filled leadership roles in the Marine Police (now known as the Police Coast Guard), Central Narcotics Bureau ...

Tudung is the Malay term for a headscarf or veil that is worn over the head to cover the hair, neck and chest areas while leaving the face exposed. Known in Arabic as the hijab (which means “barrier”), the tudung is considered an important part of the Islamic dress ...

Satay (sate in Bahasa Indonesia) is a dish similar to kebabs in that it is made of cubes of skewered meat that is grilled and eaten with a peanut sauce dip. Tracing its origins to the Arabs, satay has been adapted to the multicultural palates of Asians, with various ...

The word madrasah is Arabic for “school”. In Singapore, a madrasah refers to an Islamic religious school. Local madrasahs offer a dual-education system that combines secular and religious learning. As at 2017, there are six fulltime madrasahs in Singapore registered ...

Syed Abdulrahman bin Taha Alsagoff (b. 17 October 1880, Singapore–d. 22 May 1955), or Engku Aman as he was also known, was a member of the wealthy trading Arab family, the Alsagoffs. The landowner was a philanthropist dedicated to administering Muslim charitable ...

Shaikh Yahya bin Ahmed Afifi (b. 1891, Mecca–d. 1940, July 12, Singapore) was a municipal commissioner representing the Singapore Ratepayers’ Association. A resident on Race Course Road, he was also made a justice of the peace for his active involvement in the ...

Centenary Day was celebrated on 6 February 1919 to commemorate 100 years since Singapore’s founding by Stamford Raffles. On 6 February 1819, Raffles signed the treaty that allowed the British East India Company to set up a trading post in Singapore. The Centenary ...

Located in the Civic District, Queen Street is a one-way street that connects Arab Street to the junction of Stamford Road and Armenian Street. Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the street was part of the Eurasian enclave ...

Munshi Abdullah (b. 1797, Kampong Pali, Malacca–d. October 1854, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) was also known as Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir. Gifted in languages, he mastered Arabic, Tamil, Hindi and Malay. Abdullah was known for his work as a teacher, interpreter and writer. ...

Syed Omar bin Mohamed Alsagoff (b. 1852, Singapore–d. 18 May 1927, Soekaboemi, Java), was the head of Alsagoff and Co. Ltd. and leader of the local Mohamedan community.