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The Abu Dhabi Investment Office hosted the first edition of its investment forum in the South Korean capital on Sept. 16, producing agreements with local companies that reflect growing bilateral interest in digital infrastructure and cutting-edge industries. Second Vice Science Minister Ryu Jae-myung attended the event and conveyed Seoul’s readiness to build investment partnerships and industrial collaboration with the UAE across digital and frontier sectors. The ministry described the gathering as part of a broader series of forums the Abu Dhabi entity has convened in major global cities to draw foreign capital.
Among the South Korean participants, Hanwha Life Insurance and Kakao Mobility signed memorandums with UAE counterparts, covering areas that included digital assets for the insurer and mobility solutions for the taxi-hailing platform operator. The forum built directly on earlier high-level engagements, including working groups formed after a presidential summit last year that first elevated artificial intelligence infrastructure as a shared priority. Officials positioned the new pacts as tangible steps toward turning strategic discussions into concrete business outcomes.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the event underscored complementary strengths between the two economies, with South Korea offering expertise in semiconductors, data centers and AI models while the UAE provides substantial investment capacity and a strategic hub for regional markets. The gathering follows a series of MOUs signed during President Lee Jae-myung’s November 2025 state visit to Abu Dhabi, where the countries agreed to collaborate on the UAE’s Stargate AI data center project estimated to attract more than 30 trillion won in initial global investment. That framework accord outlined joint work on AI supply chains, infrastructure deployment and research and development.
The UAE first pledged $30 billion in investments in South Korea in 2023, a commitment that has since channeled into technology, energy and advanced manufacturing sectors, a pattern the latest forum continues. Yonhap News Agency reported that the Abu Dhabi Investment Office selected Seoul for its inaugural East Asian stop in recognition of the country’s leadership in semiconductors and digital innovation. Discussions also touched on gaming industry partnerships, extending cooperation beyond traditional infrastructure into consumer-facing digital services.
Ryu’s participation highlighted the science ministry’s role in coordinating cross-government support for these initiatives, which now encompass autonomous vehicle technologies alongside AI and digital asset frameworks. The ministry noted that such forums help translate high-level strategic partnerships into sector-specific projects that benefit both economies. Further implementation details for the newly signed agreements are expected to emerge through follow-up working groups already established under prior bilateral arrangements.
