National AI Strategy Committee to Accelerate Korea-UAE "AI and Digital Future Alliance"

Plans to Build MGX's Sovereign AI Ecosystem
Exploring Joint Projects for Korean-Style Smart Ports

The National AI Strategy Committee has begun working with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to flesh out a bilateral "AI and Digital Future Alliance."

From left: Cho Junhee, President of the Korea Software Industry Association; Lim Munyoung, Vice Chair of the National AI Strategy Committee; an MGX representative. Provided by the National AI Strategy Committee

The committee announced on the 8th that Vice-Chair Im Munyoung met on the 5th with David Scott, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Abu Dhabi-based AI-focused investment company MGX, and agreed on an early visit to Korea by an "AI Investment Delegation." MGX is an Abu Dhabi-based investment company specializing in AI and advanced technologies, with a minimum investment size of 250 million dollars and an investment range per deal of between 500 million and 2 billion dollars.

Vice-Chair Im also visited the "TAM Factory," Abu Dhabi's hub for public service innovation, where he held talks with Ahmed Tamim Al Kuttab, Chairman (Minister) of the Department of Government Enablement (DGE). On the same evening, he hosted a dinner meeting, inviting Korean companies and public institutions operating in the UAE, as well as representatives of AI and space-related companies that accompanied the visit to the UAE.

The following day, he visited Khalifa Port, the UAE's hub for port logistics, to inspect its advanced port facilities. The delegation presented Korea's world-class port operation systems and automation technologies. Both sides agreed that Korean-style smart port solutions could maximize the competitiveness of the UAE as a logistics hub, and decided to stay in close contact to identify joint business opportunities.

Vice-Chair Im said, "This visit has established the practical framework for cooperation within the Korea-UAE AI and space alliance, ranging from sovereign AI to public service innovation and smart logistics, based on the strong trust between the leaders of Korea and the UAE," adding, "We will swiftly push forward follow-up measures so that Korean companies can use the UAE as a springboard to grow into key players in the global future industries beyond the Middle East."