The seventh session of the UAE-South Korea Joint Economic Committee (JEC) was held virtually, chaired by H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy; and H.E. Nam-Ki Hong, Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and in the presence of H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade. During the session, the two countries agreed to enhancing cooperation according to 10 vital and strategic sectors and programs.

The two sides emphasized the strength of the UAE-Korean relations, which have witnessed a significant expansion since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in 1980. They further indicated the need to continue joint work to expand the scope of this strategic partnership to include more sectors and opportunities, in a way that serves the interests and aspirations of both countries in development and prosperity. In addition, the UAE and South Korea discussed the global economic developments in light of the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on global trade. Furthermore, both sides expressed satisfaction with the trade exchange rates over the past years. In this context, the two sides agreed to work closely to enhance mutual non-oil trade, exchange experiences and knowledge, and enhance access to development opportunities in the two countries markets.

Cooperation and joint investments aimed at industrialization and commercial production in the sectors of SMEs and communication, information technology (IT), artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of things (IoT), 5G, smart agriculture, green economy, energy, renewable energy, science and innovation in the medical and agricultural sectors, in addition to education, tourism, financial services and transportation were also discussed.

The two sides further emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to open up new avenues for the private sector in the two countries. It was also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the UAE with the Korean side to activate the cooperation frameworks related to Korea's participation in the Expo, which has been postponed to next year in compliance with the precautionary measures implemented globally in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

H.E. Bin Touq said that the bilateral and economic relations between the UAE and Korea and are based on a long history of friendship and mutual respect and include almost all sectors. In addition, he highlighted the UAE’s keenness to establish frameworks for cooperation in the fields of technology to benefit from the world-leading Korean experience in this regard. He noted that the importance of this partnership is being reflected in the progress made by both the UAE and Korean economies, with increased participation from the private sectors.

H.E. added that the volume of non-oil trade exchange between the two countries is promising, as it amounted to more than USD 5 billion in 2019. The volume of UAE exports to Korea doubled compared to 2018, while re-exports grew nearly three times. H.E. Bin Touq added that the scope of the current mutual investments includes wide sectors in the two countries markets, such as energy, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, logistics services, technology, communications, financial services, construction, real estate, port management, and others.

“We are focusing on the advanced technology sectors in particular, so that the UAE and Korean economies can progress and work together through joint investment in the fields of innovation, research and development, to reach the commercial production in the sectors of the new economy’ H.E said. H.E also touched on how the UAE’s leadership is expediting the systematic response to the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to the UAE government’s recent launch of a flexible package and a general plan of 33 initiatives to support various economic sectors. The Minister added that MOE will implement this package to provide integrated programs and boost development of the national economy, and that the outputs of this package will serve the country's economic relations with global partners. “Through this session of the JEC, we are keen to open up new channels for cooperation in the health sector, especially in response to the pandemic. We will also work to develop cooperation at the governmental and private sector levels in the areas of entrepreneurship and SMEs, while striving to develop sustainable partnerships in more fields including energy, renewable energy, food security, aviation, tourism, intellectual property, education, financial services and others H.E concluded. H.E. Nam-Ki Hong said: “I am happy that the 7th Joint Economic Committee between the UAE and Korea was held today, as this year also marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and the Republic of Korea. We have been developing an exemplary cooperation over the years, particularly in the field of healthcare, energy and infrastructure, and Barakah nuclear power plant is a perfect example for this.” “This year, very close cooperation between both countries in dealing with COVID-19 has once again proven the value of our outstanding strategic partnership. Given the history of our highly successful and mutually beneficial cooperation, I look forward to advancing these efforts to the next stage by jointly developing strategies for the post COVID-era. Recently, Korea announced the ‘Korean Green New Deal Strategy,’ much like the 50- year strategy announced by the UAE, which aims to develop future industries based on

AI, IOT, 5G, ICT and advanced manufacturing. The two countries have many things in common in our future development strategies. We can find our next stage of cooperation in this area and the 7th JEC did serve as a springboard for the next stage,” he concluded. The agenda of the seventh JEC between the UAE and Korea included 10 new development programs for cooperation that will continue to be implemented and followed up over the next two years, until the next session of the Committee 2022. These include:

1-Science, IT & Telecommunications

2- Agriculture technology including smart agriculture

3-Renewable energy, including investment in alternative and clean energy projects, and the development of public transportation systems in line with the hydrogen city model.

4- Recycle resources

5- SMEs and start-ups

6- Oil & Gas

7- Infrastructure, included projects and desalination technology

8- Healthcare and medical services, including the response to COVID-19 pandemic, and the exchange of knowledge and experts in the medical field.

9- Education, tourism, and Intellectual Property, especially patents.

10- Strengthening government cooperation channels, including medium-term economic development plans, and policies to deal with the effects of COVID-19 on the economy.