This major strategic agreement was announced during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s official visit to the United Arab Emirates.
As the home of global semiconductor leaders such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea places significant importance on advancing artificial intelligence to maintain economic growth amid the uncertainty created by U.S. tariffs. Under the newly signed strategic framework agreement, the two countries will deepen cooperation in AI investments, infrastructure development, supply chain strengthening, and research and development.
The “Stargate UAE” project, facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump, is considered the largest artificial intelligence data center complex ever built outside the United States. The first phase — a 1-gigawatt facility — is managed by the UAE state-backed company G42. Its partners include major U.S. tech firms such as OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, as well as Japan’s SoftBank Group.
Interestingly, South Korean tech giants Samsung and SK Hynix had already signed preliminary agreements in October to supply high-speed memory chips for OpenAI’s Stargate data centers. This new intergovernmental deal formalizes and significantly expands that cooperation.
