By Yantoultra Ngui

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Apple Inc ( AAPL ) plans to invest more than $250 million to expand its regional campus or operations in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, according to a company statement dated April 17.

Two buildings acquired in 2022, located across from Apple's ( AAPL ) existing offices, will undergo a major upgrade, the U.S. technology giant said.

"Singapore is truly a one-of-a-kind place, and we are proud of the connection we've built with this dynamic community of creators, learners, and dreamers," Tim Cook, Apple's ( AAPL ) CEO, said in a statement.

Apple ( AAPL ) opened its first facility in Singapore in 1981 with 72 employees focused on Apple II, its early personal computer.

It has since grown to house more than 3,600 employees in the city-state, which serves as an operations centre for Apple ( AAPL ) in the region.

Cook will meet Singapore's prime minister-designate Lawrence Wong as well as the city-state's incumbent leader Lee Hsien Loong this week as part of his Southeast Asia tour, Bloomberg News reported earlier on Wednesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.