H.E. Minister Kim Sungwhan of Climate, Energy and Environment held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, in Seoul, Korea, on December 18, 2025 (KST). This meeting follows the KoreDAa-UAE summit, at which the leaders of the two countries agreed to deepen their strategic comprehensive partnership. Building on this shared understanding, the ministers held substantive discussions aimed at fully implementing follow-up measures related to Korea’s participation in the Stargate UAE Project, as well as advancing the climate and energy goals of both countries.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation on developing an energy mix and power grids that utilize renewables, nuclear power, and gas to ensure the stable operation to be built as part of the Stargate UAE project. The ministers also focused on promoting public-private exchanges, including the launch of an energy public-private forum, to strengthen the strategic comprehensive energy partnership and support the achievement of climate and energy targets.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) proposed a cooperation package on low-carbon power infrastructure that harnesses Korea’s experience in transmission networks, stable power grid operation, and large-scale energy storage system (ESS) deployment, given that rising power demand from AI data centers is inextricably linked to increased carbon emissions. To advance this package, the Ministry plans to launch a working group on energy mix and power grids within this month and to establish a phased roadmap.

In addition, Korea and the UAE reviewed the launch and operation of the Korea-UAE Clean Energy Forum (tentative), aimed at contributing to global climate and energy goals such as tripling global renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency. The forum is expected to serve as a permanent cooperation channel involving officials and experts from the Korean and UAE governments, public institutions, and private companies. It is also expected to function as a key platform to explore public-private clean energy collaboration and new energy business opportunities.

During the talks, Minister Kim highlighted the strong expertise of Korean companies in project development and execution in the UAE and the broader Middle East. He cited Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)’s experience with the Barakah nuclear power plant, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission networks, battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Abu Dhabi, and green hydrogen in Dubai, as well as the joint solar project development in Oman by Korea Midland Power and the UAE. Emphasizing Team Korea’s strong competitiveness in the design, construction, and operation of power generation and grid infrastructure, Minister Kim requested the UAE’s continued interest in and support for Team Korea’s participation in the Stargate Project.

Minister Kim stated, “Building on the robust foundation of trust and cooperation established at the Korea-UAE summit, the Stargate collaboration will serve as a catalyst for elevating our energy partnership to the next level. Korea and the UAE will set an effective collaborative model for addressing the climate crisis and driving the energy transition.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com