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| ▲ President Lee Jae Myung (R) shakes hands with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi, prior to their talks at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Jan. 15, 2026. (Yonhap) |
Lee-UAE
Lee holds meeting with chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung held a meeting with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, on Thursday, during which they discussed ways to advance bilateral ties, Cheong Wa Dae said.
South Korea and the UAE "have agreed to build a relationship that will last a hundred years," Lee told Al Mubarak, one of the top business leaders in the UAE who also serves as a special envoy overseeing the Middle East nation's ties with South Korea.
Lee said Seoul had come up with detailed plans for bilateral cooperation, expressing hope that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan would make a state visit to South Korea in the near future for further discussions.
During the meeting, the two sides are expected to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation in defense, artificial intelligence and energy.
The Emirati official said he would work closely with presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik to produce concrete outcomes and that the UAE will coordinate the schedule for the visit on a date convenient for the Korean side and make efforts to achieve substantial results during the visit.
Their meeting comes around two months after Lee's state visit to the UAE in November, during which the two leaders discussed ways to pursue joint weapons development, production and sales in third markets, moving beyond arms exports. Lee's office estimated the potential economic benefit at about $15 billion.
Kang earlier said the two countries seek to make a basic-level conclusion over bilateral arms industry cooperation by February, adding they are planning to arrange the Emirati president's visit to Seoul this year.
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