Seoul: South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan met with his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart Sultan Al Jaber to discuss expanding cooperation in the artificial intelligence (AI) and energy sectors, Kim's office announced.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting in Seoul focused on follow-up measures to the leaders' summit held in Abu Dhabi in November between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the summit, the two leaders agreed to collaborate on the UAE's Stargate project, which aims to establish AI computing and cloud infrastructure in the UAE.

Kim highlighted South Korea's potential contribution to the project with its expertise in semiconductor technology, data centers, engineering, and construction. The meeting also emphasized expanding cooperation in the energy sector, recognizing the bilateral trade of oil and gas as a fundamental aspect of economic collaboration between the two nations.

The ministers agreed to explore increasing the joint oil stockpiling volume, a 13-year-old initiative that has helped stabilize the energy supply chain between Korea and the UAE.

In related discussions, Climate Minister Kim Sung-hwan also engaged with Al Jaber to explore energy cooperation. Kim proposed offering Korea's low-carbon electric power infrastructure technologies, including power grids and energy storage systems, for the UAE's Stargate project. The discussions also covered creating a joint energy forum to support the international community's goal of tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030.