MOU on Space Cooperation Revised
Expanding Collaboration Across Satellites, Exploration, and Launch Vehicles
South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to significantly strengthen their strategic cooperation in the fields of space and artificial intelligence (AI).
On November 18 (local time), during the Korea-UAE summit held in Abu Dhabi, the Korea Aerospace Administration and the UAE Space Agency revised their memorandum of understanding (MOU) on space cooperation, and the Korean government officially announced its participation in the UAE's large-scale AI infrastructure initiative, the "Stargate" project.
The Korea Aerospace Administration updated the MOU to designate itself as the main Korean partner and clarified the scope of cooperation to focus on joint projects, exchanging the revised MOU with the UAE side. Newly added areas of cooperation include sharing development and operational experience from Korea's lunar orbiter "Danuri" and the UAE's Mars probe "Hope" (Amal), joint satellite development and data utilization between private companies, and reviewing the establishment of ground stations in the UAE for KPS operations.
Additionally, the two countries will expand cooperation on the construction of UAE launch sites and launch services, and are discussing the possibility of mounting UAE-developed satellites on Korea's Nuri rocket in the future. This builds on nearly two decades of collaboration, including the joint development of DubaiSat, educational programs at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and testing support from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, now evolving into substantial technology projects.
The Korean government will participate in the UAE's "Stargate" project, the world's largest AI data center cluster, to pursue comprehensive cooperation in AI, semiconductors, and energy. Stargate aims to build an AI infrastructure with a capacity of up to 5 GW, with the initial 200 MW cluster scheduled to begin operation next year.
The two countries have agreed to sign a "Strategic AI Cooperation Framework" between their national AI strategy agencies, committing to comprehensive efforts in AI infrastructure development, supply chain expansion, research and development, and startup collaboration. In particular, priority projects include the construction of ultra-large data centers linked to power grids based on nuclear, gas, and renewable energy, as well as physical AI demonstration projects in the port and logistics sectors. Busan Port and Khalifa Port in the UAE will serve as joint testbeds.
The Korea Aerospace Administration plans to dispatch a public-private delegation in the first half of next year, focusing on academic, industrial, and research organizations interested in entering the UAE market, to further concrete follow-up discussions. The government considers this summit as marking the transition of bilateral cooperation in space and AI into a structural partnership.
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