November 19, 2025
SEOUL – South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to work together to export defense equipment and nuclear reactors to third countries, marking a significant expansion beyond their fast-growing bilateral trade in these sectors. President Lee Jae Myung’s aides announced the agreement Tuesday during a briefing in Abu Dhabi, following a summit between the leaders of the two nations.
Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff, told reporters that the two countries will elevate their defense cooperation by jointly developing defense equipment, establishing a manufacturing base in the UAE and pursuing defense sales not only to the UAE’s Middle Eastern neighbors but also to countries in Africa, Europe and North America.
The plan will “increase the likelihood” of South Korean defense exporters securing deals in these regions, Kang said, noting that the potential value of such contracts could reach a combined $15 billion.
The UAE has long been one of the major buyers of South Korean defense equipment, including the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher and the Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile system.
Kang arrived in the UAE a few days ahead of Lee as the president’s special envoy for South Korea’s strategic economic cooperation with the Middle Eastern nation. Lee began his state visit on Monday.
Ha Jung-woo, senior presidential secretary for AI and future planning, said during the briefing that the two countries also agreed to jointly enter third-country markets for nuclear power plant exports. The partnership builds on their previous collaboration on the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, now in commercial operation.
South Korea will also participate in the UAE’s project to build data centers that will power the country’s AI infrastructure. The presidential office estimated the project’s value at a minimum of $20 billion. Ha added that physical AI technologies will also be adopted at sea ports in both countries.
The announcements followed a summit between Lee and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday, as well as a signing ceremony for seven memoranda of understanding to deepen bilateral cooperation.
During the summit at the Emirati presidential palace, Lee praised the UAE as a nation that “has made remarkable progress through technology advances and private-sector-led development, even while it is considered one of the six major oil-producing countries.”
Mohamed said the two nations could expand cooperation particularly in space, AI and defense. He pointed to recent collaboration involving the UAE’s launch of KhalifaSat, an artificial satellite jointly developed by Emirati scientists and the South Korea-based Satrec Initiative.