The consistent growth of Korea-UAE collaboration in a number of areas was appreciated by two presidents. Abu Dhabi: At Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea met for a summit. Since the two countries’ diplomatic relations were established in 1980, the Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates have steadily expanded their cooperation in a number of areas, including energy, infrastructure and construction, trade, investment, national defense and defense technology, space, advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, health and medical services, agriculture, education, culture, and people-to-people exchange.
The signing of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant Project with Korean companies in 2009 and the deployment of the Akh Unit to the United Arab Emirates in 2011 were two notable developments in the Republic of Korea-United Arab Emirates relationship that both leaders noted with great satisfaction. Based on the Special Strategic Partnership established in 2018, the two countries have proven to be true friends in the Asian and Middle East regions, respectively.
This was further demonstrated by the ongoing bilateral cooperation on space programs that have been in place for almost 20 years, as evidenced by more recent initiatives like the Etihad-SAT Radar Satellite, which was created in 2025 in collaboration with Korea’s Satrec Initiative. Previous achievements, such as DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2, demonstrate the breadth of collaborative satellite creation and ongoing information sharing. Notably, KhalifaSat, the first satellite developed in the United Arab Emirates, underwent environmental testing in the Republic of Korea. Ongoing cooperation in fields including space situational awareness, cutting-edge space technologies, and exploration supports these initiatives.
The two leaders decided to further strengthen and advance the Republic of Korea-United Arab Emirates Special Strategic Partnership to a permanent and irreversible level on the foundation of strong trust, mutual respect, and a spirit of solidarity. This will create a relationship that is long-lasting, unwavering, and resilient to changes in global circumstances, as well as one that continues to develop in a positive, future-focused, and mutually beneficial way.
Additionally, the two leaders acknowledged that the Republic of Korea is a reliable and forward-thinking partner in assisting the United Arab Emirates in realizing this long-term vision in light of UAE Centennial 2071, the country’s plan to become a world-leading nation by its centennial anniversary in 2071. In this sense, they reaffirmed their dedication to creating an all-encompassing degree of synergy with the goal of strengthening collaboration and moving the two nations closer to a century-long friendship.
The two leaders emphasized their commitment to advancing a partnership based on mutual trust, shared prosperity, and long-term strategic alignment by specifically agreeing to build a future-oriented cooperation framework to focus on mutual growth and co-prosperity in key strategic and globally competitive areas like national defense and defense technology, advanced and emerging technology including AI and quantum, nuclear energy, public health and healthcare, food security, and cultural exchange.
The two leaders pledged to create a workable, sustainable, and mutually beneficial cooperation mechanism in each area to accelerate mutual growth and co-prosperity. These mechanisms included creating a joint R&D platform, increasing technology, human exchanges, and knowledge transfer, establishing a stable supply chain of essential materials, and developing a collaboration model for joint production and joint entry into third countries.
1. The two nations will actively look into specific cooperative projects in the fields of semiconductors and artificial intelligence that can combine their respective strategic needs and strengths. These projects will include joint investment, development, and export initiatives, such as the co-establishment and cooperation of hyperscale AI data centers based on their energy-mix strategies and global AI Smart Port projects that use digital twin technology and physical AI. Additionally, the two nations will start a high-level interministerial discussion channel to increase collaborative efforts in the field of AI and to strengthen collaboration in responsible AI governance, cyber security, and semiconductor ecosystem resilience.
2. In the area of civil nuclear energy, the two nations will strengthen their cooperation in nuclear fuel, maintenance, and digital transformation to guarantee the steady operation of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. They also pledge to create a framework of mutually beneficial cooperation that permits joint entry into international markets through the expansion of the “Barakah model.” In keeping with the goals of the Comprehensive Strategic Energy Partnership (CSEP) and building on the findings of the High-Level Consultations Committee on Nuclear Cooperation, both parties are dedicated to advancing global clean energy goals, supporting sustainable development, and establishing low carbon solutions by working together on next-generation technologies, employing artificial intelligence tools to improve nuclear energy plants’ efficiency, dependability, and safety, and continuing to collaborate on workforce training and capacity building, and nuclear safety.
3. Beyond only selling weapons, the two nations will collaborate on joint development, technical cooperation, and local production in the areas of national security and defense technology. In order to enhance sustainable and national defense capabilities, both sides stressed the significance of organized knowledge-transfer and capacity-building initiatives.
4. Both sides acknowledged the growing significance of the water sector for sustainable development and climate action. The leaders emphasized the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates in December 2026 and is co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates, as a crucial chance to further international water initiatives. They recognized the United Arab Emirates’ introduction of the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative as well as their nations’ contributions to the advancement of water technology and innovation to scale up water solutions.
5. In terms of public health and healthcare, the two nations will support the creation of a Pre-Post Care Center (PPCC) to offer local services for patients based in the United Arab Emirates and engage in talks to establish a K-Medical Comprehensive Cluster to foster joint research and investment in areas like pharmaceuticals, digital medical devices, and regenerative medicine. This is in recognition of the United Arab Emirates’ status as the Middle East’s largest patient sending country to the Republic of Korea, as well as the six Korean medical institutions that operate in the UAE. Additionally, the leaders decided to broaden regulatory collaboration in areas such as bio-health, cosmetics, and medical products and research facilitated by artificial intelligence.
6. In order to increase communication between future generations, the two nations will encourage reciprocal visits, training, talent development, and youth internship programs between important organizations, educational institutions, and governmental bodies.
7. In terms of culture and people-to-people interaction, the two nations will work together to establish the United Arab Emirates as a hub for cultural exchange that fosters ties between K-Culture and the Middle East by leveraging the region’s growing interest in Korean culture as well as the United Arab Emirates’ special status as a center for tourism and culture. Both sides acknowledge the critical role that cultural exchange plays in building interpersonal relationships, encouraging mutual understanding, and advancing shared ideals. The two nations decided to keep talking about other ways that active people-to-people exchanges may help the inhabitants of the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea.
8. The two nations will look for projects that can combine their strengths and competitive advantages to create synergies as a symbol of bilateral cooperation, such as the creation of a “UAE K-City,” a hub that brings together K-Culture, K-Food, business, innovative companies, and talented human resources. They will also work together to advance into third countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Additionally, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to investigating tangible cooperation projects by appointing high-level officials and high-level interministerial exchanges to foster strategic cooperation between the two nations, with the goal of bringing even more advantages and advancements for the peoples of both countries, in order to achieve a new leap forward in the Republic of Korea-United Arab Emirates relationship.
In order to exchange developments from these joint efforts at the bilateral level and swiftly report back to the leaders, the selected high-level officials will maintain constant communication. In order to guarantee the implementation of the issues decided upon at today’s summit meeting, the two presidents also decided to form a high-level task force under the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
Given the relationship between the Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates as reliable allies, both leaders reiterated their dedication to having honest conversations, encouraging communication, and developing strong bonds of cooperation with one another in order to leave a legacy of prosperity and peace for future generations. The two presidents decided to meet regularly in order to enhance the Special Strategic Partnership between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea, reiterating that this will further improve their ties.
