Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to significantly expand investment and industrial cooperation in digital and advanced-technology fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Ryu Je-myung, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT (led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon), attended the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul 2026 (ADIF Seoul), held on September 16 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Seoul, where he expressed a commitment to broadening cooperation between the two countries.
 [코리안투데이] The venue of the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul 2026 © 장형임 기자 |
The forum is an investment event organized by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), which tours major cities around the world; this year marked the first time it was held in Korea. The event brought together officials from the Abu Dhabi government and investment institutions as well as representatives of leading companies from both countries, who discussed cooperation opportunities in future industries such as AI, robotics and advanced manufacturing.
Ahead of the event, Vice Minister Ryu held preliminary talks with officials from the Abu Dhabi government and major companies, discussing ways to expand investment and technology cooperation that draw on the strengths of both countries. He stressed the need to link Korea’s technological and industrial capabilities with the UAE’s investment capacity and global network, broadening cooperation that extends from joint research and development to investment and commercialization, and ultimately to entry into global markets.
At the event, seven memoranda of understanding (MOUs) were signed between Abu Dhabi government agencies and Korean companies. Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and Hanwha Life signed an MOU on digital-asset cooperation, while the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Kakao Games concluded an MOU on games and content. This demonstrates that cooperation between the two countries is moving beyond government-level discussions to concrete investment and business collaboration between individual companies.
Beyond diplomatic achievements between the two nations, the forum is significant in that it has opened a channel through which Korean companies can connect directly to the Middle East’s large-scale investment capital and global sales networks. In particular, with tangible business opportunities emerging in future growth areas such as digital assets and games and content, the forum is expected to serve as a new springboard for growth for the related industries and their workforce.
In his congratulatory address, Second Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung said, ‘In the age of AI, what matters is cooperation that goes beyond simple technology exchange—investing and developing together and expanding the results into global markets.’ He added, ‘By connecting Korea’s technological and industrial capabilities with the UAE’s investment capacity and global network, we will actively support both countries’ companies and research institutions in producing tangible results.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
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