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MEI is offering up to two Visiting Sabbatical Fellowships for 2015-16. These fellowships are intended to provide academics studying the Middle East with the opportunity to spend their (paid) sabbatical leave in a congenial and well-resourced environment. Fellows will be expected to have completed their archival or field research before arriving in Singapore. If funding is available, one research trip to the Middle East will be supported. Interdisciplinary interests are encouraged. Candidates must have had extensive research experience after their PhD and a strong publication record.Fellows will be provided with free accommodation; medical benefits and travel assistance will also be provided. Fellows will be given office space and access to the libraries at NUS.  They will be expected to participate actively in MEI’s activities, including attending seminars and presentations.Please note that there is no salary attached to the Sabbatical Fellowships.APPLICATION INFORMATIONThe deadline for applications for Post-Doctoral, Visiting Research and Sabbatical Fellowships is December 31, 2014.Candidates attending the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) Annual Meeting in Washington DC (22-25 November 2014) may arrange an appointment with Peter Sluglett, the Director of MEI: meips@nus.edu.sg.Applications should be submitted to Ms Norizan Selamat, Associate Director of MEI, via email at norizan@nus.edu.sg.Applications should include the following:Covering letter;Brief (500-1000 words) statement of research interests;Curriculum vitae.Three letters of recommendation (ONLY APPLICABLE FOR THE POST-DOCTORAL AND VISITING RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS). The letters should be sent by email (c/o of Ms Norizan Selamat) from the recommender directly to MEI.For further information and enquiries, please contact Ms Norizan Selamat via email at norizan@nus.edu.sg.About Singapore and the Middle EastAt the end of the thirteenth century, families of Arab traders began to settle in Southeast Asia. Family ties between relatives in Hadhramaut, for example, and Singapore engendered close cultural and economic links between the Middle East (especially the southern Arabian Peninsula) and Southeast Asia. The cultural enclave of the Arab Quarter in Singapore is a vibrant manifestation of this relationship. The Malay Muslim community, with its strong affinities to the Arab and Muslim worlds, comprises approximately 14 percent of Singapore’s population. Increasing numbers of Singapore companies in the fields of oil and gas, finance, investment, and infrastructure are active in Middle Eastern markets. Singapore also has established a presence in many other fields such as environmental technologies, logistics, retail, and tourism. In 2008, the GCC-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (GSFTA) signified a new era of cooperation. These developments will undoubtedly deepen and diversify.