Strategies for building a strategic partnership to develop the AI ecosystems of both countries were discussed at the Korea-United Arab Emirates (UAE) AI Infrastructure and Semiconductor Investment Forum.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee said Thursday that they held the "Korea-UAE AI Infrastructure and Semiconductor Investment Forum" at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas.
The event featured a high-level panel discussion along with business presentations by Korean companies and business matching sessions. In particular, the high-level panel discussion covered cooperation measures to maximize the capabilities and strengths of both countries, including the construction and operation of low-power, high-efficiency AI infrastructure linked to AI semiconductors such as NPUs, as well as the development and demonstration of specialized services based on native-language AI models.
In the subsequent Korean company introduction session, investment presentations and business briefings were held by sector in AI semiconductors, infrastructure and AI technology, while concrete investment cooperation measures were explored through business matching and networking programs.
From the UAE side, 25 officials visited Korea, including Mohamed Alhawi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Investment, as well as representatives from UAE state-run AI companies Core42 and MGX, UAE government R&D institutions ATRC and TII, and investment institutions including Mubadala and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
The investment forum was held as a follow-up to AI ecosystem cooperation discussions by a working group of government and private companies from both countries that was formed on the occasion of the state visit to the UAE last November. The government plans to continue further discussions so that the event does not end as a one-time exchange but leads to tangible outcomes, such as complementary technological development and joint entry into overseas markets.
"By combining the strengths of both countries — Korea's competitive AI ecosystem and the UAE's AI investment capabilities and its strategic location connecting to the global AI market — we will flesh out cooperation models that lead to practical outcomes, such as demonstrations of low-power, high-efficiency AI data centers and participation in the UAE's Stargate AI Data Center Campus project, and support the expansion of market entry opportunities for companies in both countries," said Ryu Je-myung, Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT.
