"Integration of Korean Smart Technology in UAE Urban Development and Infrastructure Construction"

Order Support Team, Concrete Follow-up Achievements After UAE Summit Diplomacy
Introduction of Korean Smart Technology in Abu Dhabi Urban Development

Korean smart technology will be introduced to the infrastructure development of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The scope of cooperation will expand to new business areas such as building public transportation using clean energy like hydrogen, as well as railway networks.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo (left) and Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are taking a commemorative photo after a meeting in the UAE on the 26th. / Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 28th that a contract support team led by Minister Park Sang-woo visited the UAE on the 26th and 27th to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

This visit was promoted to materialize the follow-up achievements of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s visit to the UAE last year. The purpose is to expand cooperation not only in traditional infrastructure sectors such as construction and plants but also in new business areas such as smart cities, clean energy infrastructure including hydrogen, and railway construction.

The UAE is a key partner country in the construction and infrastructure sector, ranking second in cumulative overseas construction contracts. The two countries maintain a strategic partnership and cooperate in areas such as nuclear power, energy, defense, and healthcare.

First, Minister Park met with Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and agreed to expand the scope of cooperation to new business areas such as building public transportation infrastructure utilizing clean energy like hydrogen. They also explored practical cooperation measures such as joint entry into third countries.

They reviewed joint research cooperation projects between the two countries for the creation of hydrogen cities, based on three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) signed following last year’s summit, including “Cooperation on Hydrogen Production, Storage, Transportation, and Utilization in Cities.” The overseas hydrogen-based public transportation infrastructure technology development project, with a total budget of 34 billion KRW to be invested by 2025, has been confirmed to be progressing smoothly, including the full-scale commencement of local demonstration procedures in the UAE.

The UAE side requested active participation of Korean companies in railway construction, signaling, and communication systems. The contract support team introduced domestic companies possessing relevant technologies and decided to discover specific cooperative projects.

Minister Park also met with Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology. At this meeting, both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in energy and plant sectors and enhance collaboration in the hydrogen energy field.

In particular, Minister Park pledged active support for the participation of Korean companies in projects ordered by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, such as the Ruwais Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal (worth 1 billion USD), and requested special attention to ensure the smooth progress of major ongoing projects. Furthermore, through high-level visits from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to Korea, they agreed to discuss strategic cooperation plans and projects in the hydrogen energy infrastructure sector.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo is shaking hands with Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport of Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the 27th. / Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Minister Park also held a meeting with Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport. They discussed cooperation plans between the two countries related to mobility innovation, smart services in infrastructure, and urban development projects. The Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport is an institution directly cooperating to implement the hydrogen refueling station construction technology development project jointly conducted by both countries within the UAE.

Chairman Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa shared the goal of providing optimized services across various infrastructure sectors in Abu Dhabi and expressed strong interest in Korean mobility innovation technology. Accordingly, both sides discussed ways to introduce Korean smart technology when building infrastructure in Abu Dhabi.

At this meeting, startups participating in the contract support team directly introduced smart technologies such as drone data, big data platforms, and logistics system construction. Additionally, regarding the new urban plan to be announced by the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport, they agreed to explore cooperation methods for public-private partnership urban development projects to be promoted in the future involving companies from both countries.

Following this, Minister Park met with Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, to discuss the participation of Korean companies in the UAE’s railway network construction projects and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

In particular, the contract support team introduced in detail the competitiveness of Korea Railroad Corporation and Korean companies in the railway sector and sought ways to participate in UAE’s railway network construction projects, including high-speed rail construction with Etihad Rail. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to secure a foothold for entering the Middle East railway sector.

Minister Park also met with Korean entrepreneurs operating locally to hear about business progress and difficulties. At this meeting, Minister Park said, “As a sales representative of the Republic of Korea, I will expand exchange and cooperation opportunities between the two countries so that our companies can actively participate in the UAE market for national interests, and prepare customized support measures that meet the demands of companies,” and “We will strengthen the government-to-government (G2G) cooperation platform with the UAE and provide full support so that the government and private sectors can work as one team to achieve tangible results.”