President Lee Jae Myung told a Korea–UAE business roundtable in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday that Seoul aims to strengthen future-oriented cooperation with the UAE in artificial intelligence(AI), energy, defense and culture.

He said the two nations’ partnership should create new growth opportunities for Korea and support the UAE’s role at the center of the global economic order.

Lee pledged full government backing for companies, stressing that Korea and the UAE have grown into “brother nations” since establishing their special strategic partnership.

He said cooperation across advanced industries such as AI data centers, biotech and semiconductors will accelerate and that Korea will be a trusted partner in the UAE’s ambition to become an AI hub by 2031.

Lee also highlighted plans to expand collaboration across clean energy, nuclear power and defense, and called for broader soft-power exchanges, citing the first export of Korean hanwoo beef to the UAE as a promising sign.