South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are launching full-scale cooperation on AI and future technologies, spanning from sovereign artificial intelligence to smart ports.
The Presidential Committee on National AI Strategy announced on the 8th that Vice Chairman Lim Moon-young held consecutive meetings with senior UAE officials, including Abu Dhabi-based AI investment firm MGX and the Department of Government Enablement (DGE).
The visit aims to translate the Korea-UAE Special Strategic Partnership into concrete industrial outcomes and policy cooperation. Following the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai, Vice Chairman Lim met with David Scott, Chief Strategy Officer of MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based firm specializing in AI and advanced technology investments, to discuss building a bilateral sovereign AI ecosystem.
During the meeting, Vice Chairman Lim shared updates on public-private cooperation channels through five newly established AI working groups covering AI infrastructure and semiconductors, energy mix and power grids, physical AI and port logistics, healthcare, and responsible AI, as well as a recently added space cooperation working group. CSO Scott said he plans to visit South Korea soon to directly assess the technological capabilities of major AI companies.
Vice Chairman Lim also visited Khalifa Port, a key logistics hub in the UAE, for technical discussions with port officials. Both sides agreed that Korean smart port solutions could enhance the UAE's competitiveness as a logistics hub and committed to continued consultations to identify specific joint projects.