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BackSouth Korea and UAE expand partnerships in digital assets, gaming, autonomous driving
South Korea and UAE expand partnerships in digital assets, gaming, autonomous driving
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Yonhap News44 minutes agoBusiness1 min readSouth Korea

South Korea and UAE expand partnerships in digital assets, gaming, autonomous driving

south koreaunited arab emiratesabu dhabi investment office

Quick Look

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates signed seven memorandums of understanding at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul 2026 to expand cooperation in digital assets, gaming, and autonomous driving, hosted by the UAE's investment office in southern Seoul.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office has been hosting investment forums in global cities to attract foreign investment, with this year marking the first forum held in South Korea.

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SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed Wednesday to expand partnerships in cutting-edge sectors, from digital assets to games and autonomous driving, at a forum hosted by the Middle Eastern country's investment office.

Organizations of the UAE government and South Korean companies signed in total seven memorandums of understanding (MOU) at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul 2026, or ADIF Seoul, held in southern Seoul, the science ministry said.

The event is hosted by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), a government entity of the UAE for attracting foreign investment. The organization has been holding a series of investment forums at major global cities, and this year marks the first time for it to host the event in South Korea, the ministry, added.

The local companies that signed MOUs include Hanwha Life Insurance Co. and Kakao Mobility, the taxi-hailing platform operator of Kakao Corp.

Second Vice Science Minister Ryu Jae-Myung also participated in the event and expressed South Korea's willingness to forge investment and industry collaboration in digital and cutting-edge sectors with the UAE, the ministry added.

What to Watch

AI outlook โ€” possibilities, not facts

  • Hanwha Life Insurance and Kakao Mobility will launch pilot projects in digital assets and autonomous driving with UAE partners within the next 12 months.

    Possible ยท Within months

Open Questions

  • What specific digital asset initiatives are planned under the MOUs?
  • How will the gaming and autonomous driving collaborations be structured?
  • Are there financial commitments or timelines attached to the agreements?

Related Topics

south korea
PeopleRyu Jae-Myung
OrganizationsAbu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO)Hanwha Life Insurance Co.Kakao MobilityKakao Corp.
PlacesSeoulAbu DhabiSouthern Seoul
Topicsunited arab emiratesabu dhabi investment officehanwha life insurancekakao mobilitydigital assetsautonomous driving
This article was originally published by Yonhap News.

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