Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on June 16, concluding a three-country Middle East tour to bolster energy security and economic cooperation. As Korea’s third-largest crude oil supplier, the UAE is the only Middle Eastern nation to hold a Special Strategic Partnership with Korea. During a March visit by the Special Envoy for Strategic and Economic Cooperation, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan pledged to prioritize crude oil supplies to Korea amid the global energy crisis. Minister Kim's visit aimed to review the implementation of that March agreement and discuss strategic initiatives, including joint oil stockpiling, nuclear energy, and industrial plant projects.

Minister Kim met with senior officials, including Musabbeh Al Kaabi, CEO of the Upstream Division at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)—a central player in global energy supply chains, where he received confirmation that the 24 million barrels of emergency crude oil pledged by the UAE in March were arriving smoothly on schedule. Minister Kim, throughout his tour, also engaged with high-level UAE officials to discuss long-term resource security cooperation. As a result, both sides agreed to continue talks on joint crude oil stockpiling, a key priority for the UAE.

Furthermore, the two sides consulted extensively on cooperation regarding the UAE’s large-scale infrastructure projects—such as pipeline expansions and underground oil storage facilities—designed to establish a supply chain bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Minister Kim requested the UAE’s active support to aid Korean companies, which possess high-level design, construction, and operational capabilities, secure participation in major plant projects aimed at stabilizing core energy supply chains.

Subsequently, Minister Kim met with high-ranking officials from key UAE nuclear energy agencies, including Sharif Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. To deepen full-cycle cooperation at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, both sides reviewed corporate progress and discussed concrete plans regarding △securing stable nuclear fuel supplies, △strengthening plant maintenance, and △expanding artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation (DT) in plant operations. Building on the Barakah model, they also held in-depth discussions on jointly entering strategic global nuclear power markets, focusing on △selecting candidate markets, △establishing cooperation frameworks, △defining corporate roles, and △financial and investment cooperation.

In addition, following the May 17 drone attack on power transmission facilities near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, Korea and the UAE agreed to strengthen information sharing and technical cooperation on nuclear plant protection systems. This serves as a follow-up to a May 21 Ministerial virtual, where both Ministers reviewed repair progress and discussed safety measures for Korean employees working in the region.

Minister Kim stated, “The UAE is a vital partner that has steadfastly anchored Korea’s energy supply chains despite Middle Eastern uncertainties. This visit confirmed that our oil cooperation has evolved beyond simple trade into a strategic partnership that functions effectively in any crisis.” He emphasized, “Based on this deep mutual trust, we will advance our strategic partnership by deepening full-lifecycle nuclear cooperation—including operations, maintenance, security, and joint exports to third countries—while expanding opportunities for Korean companies in key plant infrastructure sectors.