UAE-Korea defence industries forum explores partnership opportunities

ABU DHABI, 11th February, 2026 (WAM) — Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement (Tawazun) organised in Abu Dhabi the LIG Supplier Engagement & Localisation Forum, bringing together leading Emirati and Korean defence companies to explore industrial partnerships, technology transfer, and joint manufacturing opportunities.

Dr. Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of Tawazun, attended the forum alongside Hyonbin Hong, Senior Vice President of LIG Group, senior officials and representatives of Emirati and Korean defence companies.

The forum featured a presentation by LIG, one of Korea’s leading companies in the development and manufacture of advanced defence systems. The presentation highlighted the company’s industrial expertise and its strategic vision for expanding partnerships within the UAE, alongside opportunities for knowledge and technology transfer and joint manufacturing with national companies.

The forum also reviewed the role of Korean suppliers in the development of specialised subsystems and technical components within LIG’s supply chains. It further outlined the opportunities this ecosystem offers to Emirati companies to join these supply chains and establish direct partnerships with their Korean counterparts, contributing to enhanced industrial integration and the expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, Director-General of Industry Development Directorate at Tawazun, said, “Forums of this nature play an important role in turning strategic ambitions into practical collaboration, by bringing together industrial stakeholders and decision makers in a single setting for open dialogue and the exchange of expertise.”

The LIG Suppliers and Industrial Localisation Forum, which brings together national defence companies and their Korean counterparts, provides a focused platform to explore industrial integration opportunities, define priority localisation areas, and develop partnerships centred on technology transfer and joint manufacturing.

“In doing so, the forum contributes to aligning national industrial capabilities with global supply chain standards, supporting the sustainable growth of the local defence industry and enhancing its long-term preparedness,” Al Hashmi added.

The forum featured presentations from CEOs and senior officials of prominent Korean defence companies and suppliers.

The forum concluded with bilateral B2B sessions where Emirati and Korean company representatives identified collaboration opportunities, discussed supply chain integration, and explored direct partnerships within a mutually beneficial defence industrial ecosystem.