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The Emirates News Agency reported that officials from the UAE and South Korea agreed to form a joint task force charged with evaluating the feasibility, location options and regulatory needs for a dedicated Korean Industrial Zone. The partnership to study establishment of Korean Industrial Zone in UAE follows recommendations from the UAE-Korea Joint Business Council. Task force members will include representatives from the UAE Ministry of Economy and South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Their work is scheduled to conclude with detailed recommendations before the end of 2026.
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and South Korea entered into force on May 1, 2026, after being signed on May 29, 2024, according to the UAE Ministry of Economy. The pact seeks to liberalise trade in goods and services while promoting cooperation in the digital economy and sustainable development. It also establishes a framework for deeper investment ties between the two economies.
Ministry of Economy figures show the UAE remains South Korea’s largest trading partner in the GCC region with mutual investments in each other’s markets exceeding $10 billion. A 2009 contract for South Korean firms to build and operate four nuclear reactors at Barakah represented one of the largest bilateral deals, according to a Middle East Council on Global Affairs assessment. The reactors began commercial operations between 2021 and 2022.
The UAE-Korea Joint Business Council held its inaugural meeting in Abu Dhabi in September 2025 where participants called for sectoral working groups to explore new collaboration avenues, WAM reported at the time. Those groups are expected to provide input to the industrial zone study. The council also highlighted opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in both countries.
A joint statement issued after the May 2024 summit between the leaders of the two countries outlined cooperation priorities that included conventional and clean energy, advanced technology, infrastructure and cybersecurity. The statement noted that UAE entities were exploring investment opportunities in South Korea worth more than $6 billion through a sovereign investment partnership. Officials plan to hold further meetings to review progress on the industrial zone study later this year.
