Natural Beauty

Timor-Leste is located east of Bali, Indonesia, and north of Darwin, Australia. It shares a land border with West Timor, Indonesia, and is rich in natural resources. A direct flight from Singapore to Timor-Leste takes about 3 hours. The country has a population of over 1.4 million, the majority of whom are Roman Catholic.

As an emerging economy, Timor-Leste was formerly a Portuguese colony, then came under Indonesian rule, and gained independence in 2002, making it a relatively young nation. Since independence, the country has been making steady progress to improve living standards. Supported by a stable and capable government and effective external aid, Timor-Leste has achieved several impressive milestones in its economic transformation. After years of infrastructure development and pandemic-related delays, key projects are now taking shape — such as the completion of a new container port, airport expansion, and the transformation of Dili’s port into an international convention centre.

Currently, 90% of the country’s national income comes from petroleum and natural gas, with recent allocation of additional onshore and offshore oil reserves for exploration, further boosting the country’s economy. The country is also rich in untapped mineral resources such as copper, gold, manganese, marble, and limestone.

On October 26, 2025, Timor-Leste is expected to become the newest member of the ASEAN family. This is projected to further accelerate its development. ASEAN membership also brings an increase in regional and international tourism and business activity. We anticipate that Timor-Leste’s economy and nation-building efforts will reach unprecedented levels.