South Korea signed a $3.5 billion deal to export self-developed medium-range surface-to-air guided weapon system to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), timed with President Moon Jae-in’s two-day visit to the Gulf nation that also bore cooperation in hydrogen sector.

Moon and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Sunday, local time, signed a deal on the mid-range surface-to-air missile M-SAM II, also known as Cheongung II, at Expo 2020 Dubai. UAE has become the Cheongung II’s oversea destination.

Cheongung II – a ground-to-air missile with ballistic missile interceptor capability – is a key weapon in the Korea Air and Middle Defense (KAMD) program.

Local defense companies including LIG Nex1, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Defense, have participated in the missile development. Korea elbowed out other bidders from the United States and Israel in the UAE weapons procurement.

Korea and UAE also expanded energy ties from traditional petroleum to nuclear and hydrogen energy. Moon, during a business roundtable on hydrogen partnership, said the two countries could lead hydrogen economy by leveraging on UAE’s potential in green hydrogen and blue hydrogen market and Korea’s strength in hydrogen utilization storage, and distribution. UAE is also home to Korea’s first design-build-operate-maintain nuclear project.

Moon gained UAE support for Korea’s campaign to host the Expo in the country’s southeastern city of Busan in 2030 and United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP33) session in 2028.

By Lim Sung-hyun and Lee Eun-joo

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