The South Korean government will expand investment and industrial cooperation with the United Arab Emirates in digital and advanced technology.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said on Tuesday that Second Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung (류제명) attended the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul 2026 (ADIF Seoul) held at the JW Marriott Hotel in Seoul and expressed a commitment to expand cooperation between South Korea and the UAE in digital and advanced technology.

ADIF is an investment forum hosted by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) in major cities around the world. This was the first time it was held in South Korea. Representatives from the Abu Dhabi government, investment institutions and major companies from both countries attended and discussed ways to cooperate in future industries such as AI, robotics and advanced manufacturing.

Ryu met officials from the Abu Dhabi government and representatives of major companies and discussed ways to expand investment and technology cooperation by leveraging the strengths of both countries. He stressed the need to expand a cooperation framework that links South Korea's technological and industrial capabilities with the UAE's investment capacity and global network, moving from joint research and development to investment, commercialisation and entry into global markets.

A total of 7 memorandums of understanding were also signed on Tuesday between Abu Dhabi government agencies and South Korean companies. Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and Hanwha Life signed an MOU on cooperation in digital assets. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office signed an MOU with Kakao Mobility on autonomous driving technology cooperation. It also signed an MOU with Kakao Games on cooperation in games and content.

The ministry said it expects the agreements to help cooperation between the two countries move beyond government-level discussions to concrete investment and business cooperation between companies.

Ryu said, "In the AI era, cooperation to invest together, develop together and expand results into global markets is important," and added, "We will actively support companies and research institutions in both countries so they can deliver tangible results."