The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea enjoy a distinguished and longstanding strategic economic partnership built on mutual trust, economic complementarity, and expanding cooperation across energy, trade, investment, infrastructure, defense, advanced industries, and technology. This partnership reached a new milestone with the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in May 2024.
In 2025, the UAE’s exports to the Republic of Korea reached approximately USD 14.12 billion, led by energy resources and natural resource-based products, including aluminum and المعادن. During the same year, the Republic of Korea's exports to the United Arab Emirates totaled approximately USD 5.7 billion, driven by strong demand for industrial goods, automobiles, machinery, electronics, defense products, and advanced technologies. Non-oil trade between the two countries reached approximately USD 6.9 billion in 2025.
Mutual investment remains a key pillar of the economic relationship. Korean investments in the United Arab Emirates are concentrated in construction, infrastructure, energy, engineering, logistics, and manufacturing projects across the country. In 2023, the United Arab Emirates announced a USD 30 billion investment commitment in strategic sectors of the Korean economy, including nuclear energy, hydrogen, renewable energy, semiconductors, defense industries, and advanced technologies. In early 2026, the two countries agreed on a USD 65 billion bilateral partnership for joint projects, comprising more than USD 35 billion in defense contracts and USD 30 billion dedicated to investment and industrial cooperation.
The United Arab Emirates also serves as one of the Republic of Korea's principal regional hubs for business in the Middle East. As economic cooperation has expanded, the number of Korean companies operating in the UAE has continued to grow, reaching approximately 178 companies in 2025, spanning commercial operations, representative offices, and project activities. By comparison, 11 Emirati companies operate in the Republic of Korea.
Direct air connectivity between the two countries plays an important role in supporting trade, investment, tourism, business travel, and institutional cooperation. UAE national carriers, including Emirates and Etihad Airways, operate direct flights linking Dubai and Abu Dhabi with Seoul, with a combined total of 21 weekly flights.
