What did Lee Jae Myung discuss with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak in Seoul?

Lee called for continued cooperation between Korea and the UAE and asked for close communication between the two sides’ point men so they can produce concrete results for both peoples. He also asked Khaldoon to convey his regards to UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Why did Lee Jae Myung thank the UAE during the meeting?

Lee thanked the UAE for prioritizing crude oil supplies to Korea in March amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The meeting also highlighted growing cooperation in defense, artificial intelligence, nuclear energy and culture.

What future Korea-UAE cooperation areas were mentioned in the meeting?

Khaldoon said the two countries’ ties have expanded beyond energy and infrastructure into investment, space, health and education. Lee and the UAE side also pointed to deeper cooperation in defense, AI, nuclear energy and culture.

Lee meets UAE official to discuss continued cooperation

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung met with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak in Seoul on Friday and called for continued Korea-UAE cooperation. Lee recalled a long-term partnership agreed during his state visit to the UAE last November and thanked Abu Dhabi for prioritizing crude oil supplies to Korea in March. The two sides also discussed expanding ties in defense, AI, nuclear energy, culture, investment, space, health and education.

Key Facts

Lee welcomed Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Executive Affairs Authority, to Cheong Wa Dae.
The presidential office said Seoul and Abu Dhabi agreed during Lee’s state visit to the UAE last November to begin a partnership for the next 100 years.
Lee thanked the UAE for prioritizing crude oil supplies to Korea in March amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
The chairman said the visit followed a previous trip in January, and speculation has risen that the two countries may hold a summit in Korea next month.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 18, 2026 8:33 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung meets with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi, at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

President Lee Jae Myung met with a United Arab Emirates (UAE) official Friday and called for continued cooperation between Korea and the Gulf state, his office said.

Lee welcomed Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi, to Cheong Wa Dae, recalling that Seoul and Abu Dhabi agreed during his state visit to the UAE last November to begin a partnership for the next 100 years, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing.

He thanked the UAE for prioritizing crude oil supplies to Korea in March amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and noted growing cooperation in areas such as defense, artificial intelligence, nuclear energy and culture.

"President Lee called for close communication between the two countries' point men for each other in order to produce concrete achievements that can be felt by the two countries' people, while continuing communication and cooperation based on trust between the two countries' leaders," Kang said, referring to Lee's chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and Khaldoon.

Lee also asked the chairman to convey his best regards to UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Khaldoon conveyed the UAE president's regards to Lee, saying the UAE people consider Korea to be a "brother nation" that has helped their country in times of need.

The two countries' cooperative relations have now expanded beyond energy and infrastructure to include diverse and future-oriented sectors, such as investment, space, health and education, he added.

The chairman's visit, which followed a previous trip in January, came amid speculation the two countries plan to hold a summit in Korea next month.

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