Increasing Asian investment in northern Australia will be a top priority for Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the first day of his visit to Singapore.

Mr Abbott's two-day trip will focus on trade and security, with business discussions to dominate today, ahead of formal bi-lateral meetings on Monday.

He will be spruiking the Coalition's recently announced White Paper on Developing Northern Australia, which includes a $5 billion concessional loan program for infrastructure development.

Mr Abbott is hosting what is being billed as a "high-level investment roundtable" with Singapore's leading firms to encourage them to invest in infrastructure development and other commercial opportunities.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett and Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles will also be in Singapore to assist with the sales job.

Singapore is Australia's fifth largest trading partner and two-way trade is already worth $30 billion annually.

The roundtable will also include an Australian trade delegation seeking to make further inroads into the South-East Asian economies, including the major banks.

Aside from trade relations, defence and security will be high on the agenda.

Mr Abbott and Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong are expected to discuss closer military cooperation and share counter-terrorism information.

Mr Abbott will also visit a successful de-radicalisation program run at a Singaporean mosque and lay a wreath at the Kranji War Cemetery.

But there will also be some celebrations amongst the formalities.

The trip has been arranged to coincide with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Singapore.

The two prime ministers will host a barbeque to mark the occasion.