According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a high-level South Korean delegation is set to visit the United Arab Emirates this week from April 16 to 19, as part of efforts to strengthen Seoul’s bid for major high-speed railway and infrastructure projects in the region.
The delegation, led by Land Minister Park Sang-woo, will hold key discussions with UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei on Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, talks will centre on enhancing cooperation in the transport and infrastructure sectors, particularly the UAE’s ambitious high-speed rail initiative aimed at connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Since the first project contract in 1974, the cumulative value of contracts awarded to South Korean firms in the UAE has reached an impressive $86.9 billion. Notably, in the first quarter of 2025 alone, South Korean companies secured contracts worth approximately $2.4 billion in the UAE, marking a more than sixfold increase compared to the same period last year.
In a strategic push, South Korea has assembled a comprehensive public-private consortium to pursue the railway project. The team includes Korea National Railway, Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), Hyundai Rotem, and POSCO E&C, all of whom have already passed the prequalification round of the bidding process.
The delegation intends to showcase South Korea’s proven track record in high-speed rail development, underlining both the technical expertise and economic feasibility of its rail models. Officials will cite recent project wins in Uzbekistan and Morocco as evidence of Korea’s global competitiveness in the sector.
The visit also aims to build on a memorandum of understanding signed during the UAE President’s state visit to South Korea last year.
The agreement envisions joint ventures in third-country infrastructure development, particularly in regions undergoing post-conflict reconstruction, leveraging South Korea’s engineering capabilities and the UAE’s financial strength.
