The head of the presidential office met with the president of the United Arab Emirates(UAE) during a Middle East tour aimed at boosting cooperation and bilateral ties.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said on social media Sunday that he'd delivered a letter from President Lee Jae Myung to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, conveying Lee’s intent to strengthen the bond between the two nations.

Kang, serving as Lee’s special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, said the president will make his first state visit to the UAE on Monday.

He added that collaborations are underway in artificial intelligence, defense technology, energy and logistics and that the two sides are also exploring food-related cooperation.

Kang also met Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Executive Affairs Authority and special envoy overseeing South Korea-UAE cooperation, and Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and minister of industry and advanced technology.