President Lee Jae Myung told Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday that the two countries can move “beyond transactions and contracts” toward shared growth and long-term prosperity.

The two leaders held a 16-minute expanded summit followed by a 41-minute one-on-one meeting at the UAE presidential palace.

Lee said his visit to the Middle East early in his presidency underscored Abu Dhabi's value as Seoul’s only designated special strategic partner in the region.

He highlighted cooperation on the Barakah nuclear plant and the Akh unit, and called for even broader ties across defense, AI, energy, and health care.

Sheikh Mohamed welcomed Korea's choice of the UAE as the first stop of Lee’s Middle East tour, saying the move signaled the future direction of bilateral cooperation.

He praised expanding investment, energy and technological links and said he hopes to deepen collaboration in space, AI and defense.