Overview
- President Lee Jae Myung urged swift, visible outcomes from the November Korea–UAE joint declaration during talks with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak at Cheong Wa Dae.
- Khaldoon said UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed wants tangible results quickly and pledged to work closely with South Korean chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik to deliver them.
- Lee invited Mohamed bin Zayed for a state visit in the near future, and Khaldoon said he would seek to adjust the president’s schedule if Seoul proposes suitable dates.
- The cooperation agenda spans artificial intelligence, semiconductors, civilian nuclear energy, and defense, with Seoul aiming to shift from one-off arms sales to joint development, local production, and co-exports.
- Seoul projects more than $15 billion in potential defense business and has signaled participation in the UAE’s Stargate program, which involves large AI data centers and related power-grid expansion.