President Lee Jae Myung has arrived in the United Arab Emirates(UAE), the first stop on a four-nation tour that will include the Group of 20 summit in South Africa.

Lee began his three-day state visit in Abu Dhabi on Monday with a stop at Wahat Al Karama, a memorial honoring Emiratis killed in the line of duty.

He then visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of the UAE's most iconic landmarks, where he paid his respects to the country's founding president.

During a meeting with Korean residents of the UAE, the president said the two nations should move beyond their “brotherly” relationship and develop an “economic community” that cooperates on research, production and joint entry into third-country markets.

Lee emphasized that the UAE could serve as a “base camp” for South Korea as it works to strengthen its economic foothold in the Middle East and Africa.

Lee is scheduled to hold a summit on Tuesday with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence, defense, culture and other areas.