Since the late 70′s, Belgian businessmen regularly met under the chairmanship of Mr. Guy Robbe, SABENA Regional General Manager in Singapore at the time. Large social gatherings were frequently organized at his house, where a lot of Belgians got to meet.
In 1984, a small group of Belgians took the initiative to officially start a Belgian club. Different work groups such as Economy & Business, Social & Recreational, Cultural, Scientific & Academic were formed and presented to the Belgian community.
The official founding of the Belgian and Luxembourg Association of Singapore (BLAS), as we still know it today, took place on July 4, 1985. The formal notice was published in the Singapore Government Gazette in July 1985 (Notification number 2373).
Since then regular activities have been organised for both adults and children.
Fun fact: BLAS members who returned to Belgium have formed the “Singapore Old Timers”, an initiative of former BLAS president Georges Castermans. They used to meet annually, alternatively in Belgium and Luxembourg. Still today, many Belgians who repatriate, try to keep Singapore traditions alive, such as playing Mahjong together.