Korea, UAE Plan $65B Investment, Defense Projects

• Korea and UAE agree to pursue $65 billion joint investment and defense projects.
• Agreement includes $35 billion defense cooperation and $30 billion strategic investment initiatives.
• Leaders aim to strengthen bilateral ties across technology, energy, and security sectors.

The two nations South Korea and United Arab Emirates (UAE) established their first diplomatic ties through an agreement to implement more than 65 billion dollars’ worth of joint projects which will expand their existing strategic relationship.

The announcement came from Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff and special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, following his return from a high-level visit to Abu Dhabi where he led discussions aimed at turning diplomatic commitments into concrete partnerships.

The cooperation package includes roughly $35 billion in defense industry projects and about $30 billion in broader investment initiatives.

 The defense sector agreement between Seoul and Abu Dhabi establishes a framework memorandum of understanding (MOU) which enables cooperation throughout all phases of the defense industry from system design to maintenance and operational support.

The expanded scope of this project demonstrates a strategic change which enables deeper industrial ties between both nations to create maximum advantages for their defense systems.

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The two governments reached an agreement to create a new investment framework which will guide their $30 billion investment program through artificial intelligence and advanced technology and nuclear energy and cultural exchange.

The new agreement will help Korean companies establish themselves in the UAE market while they work together to expand their business operations into international markets.

The partnership establishes new opportunities for joint projects which will follow their previous work partnership at Barakah nuclear power plant located in the United Arab Emirates.

 The two parties will create dedicated working groups to handle specific industry sectors which will help them achieve progress before their upcoming bilateral summit.

The South Korea-UAE relationship has developed into an important connection which the two nations will strengthen through their partnership agreement that combines economic, defence and strategic interests.