SEOUL —The Ministry of Investment has led a high-level delegation to the Republic of Korea to advance cooperation and explore new partnership opportunities across the artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor value chain, as the UAE continues to pursue economic diversification and investment in future-focused industries.
The delegation was headed by Mohammad Abdulrahman Alhawi. Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi also participated in the visit, which brought together representatives from key elements of the UAE’s technology and investment ecosystem.
These included AI firms Core42 and MGX, research bodies such as the Advanced Technology Research Council and the Technology Innovation Institute, as well as major investment institutions including Mubadala and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
The delegation took part in the Korea-UAE AI Infrastructure and Semiconductor Investment Cooperation Forum, co-organised by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Presidential Council on National AI Strategy.
The forum was convened under a joint working group established during the UAE state visit in November 2025, bringing together government agencies and private sector players from both countries to develop a shared framework for AI ecosystem cooperation covering infrastructure, models and services.
At a high-level bilateral meeting, both sides recognised the strength of their respective national AI strategies and implementation capacity, and agreed on the need for a structured cooperation framework to accelerate AI ecosystem development amid intensifying global competition.
Alhawi also participated in a panel discussion focused on practical cooperation models designed to leverage the complementary strengths of both economies. Korean companies presented investment proposals across three priority areas: AI semiconductors, infrastructure and AI technologies.
As part of the visit, the UAE delegation toured several of South Korea’s leading semiconductor and advanced technology facilities, as part of efforts to deepen cooperation across the AI supply chain. The UAE has been accelerating its strategy to position itself as a global AI hub and to develop large-scale AI infrastructure domestically.
Alhawi said the UAE and South Korea shared a “forward-looking partnership” built on a common ambition to lead in future industries.
“Our investment relationship has been gaining significant momentum, propelled by the UAE’s $30 billion investment commitment in the Republic of Korea announced in 2023,” he said.
He cited existing cooperation projects, including South Korea’s involvement in the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant and its participation in the UAE’s Stargate AI data centre campus.
“These flagship projects demonstrate that cooperation is already delivering tangible outcomes of strategic importance to both nations, and this visit marks a decisive step forward in extending that partnership across the full AI value chain,” he added.
Ryu Je Myung, Second Vice Minister at South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, said AI competitiveness depended on the strength of the broader ecosystem, including semiconductors, data centres, models and services.
He said both countries would work on practical cooperation models, including low-power, high-efficiency AI data centres and potential participation in UAE-led AI infrastructure initiatives.
The visit forms part of the UAE’s broader efforts to expand international cooperation in priority sectors and reinforce its ambition to become a leading global AI hub, while strengthening long-term investment partnerships that support economic diversification.
