South Korea has struck a strategic deal with the United Arab Emirates to collaborate on the Stargate data campus, Seoul announced on Tuesday during a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and UAE leaders.
Under the memorandum of understanding, the two countries will broaden cooperation on investment in advanced computing, infrastructure for large-scale data work, supply chains for crucial hardware, and joint research programs.
The agreement fits directly into President Lee’s plan to turn South Korea into a major center for high-end digital development. Since taking office in June, he has placed heavy emphasis on expanding this sector to help counter the economic pressure created by recent U.S. tariffs and slowdowns in global trade.
South Korean tech leaders Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are already tied into the effort. In October, both companies reached initial deals to supply memory components for the first stage of the Stargate build-out, which is planned at roughly one gigawatt of capacity.
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The project in the UAE is being led by G42, a state-backed firm, working alongside well-known global partners including OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and Japan’s SoftBank. This wider development plan was arranged with support from Washington, marking one of the largest data-focused collaborations outside U.S. territory.
Beyond the construction of new facilities, officials expect the partnership to push into shared research centers and deeper work on supply chains tied to semiconductors and memory manufacturing, two areas where South Korea remains a dominant producer.
Analysts say the deal carries weight far beyond economics. By tightening its partnership with the UAE, Seoul is staking out a larger role in the international race for advanced computing resources.
It also puts renewed attention on how countries such as the UAE — which previously faced limits from Washington because of its links to China — are navigating their relationships with major tech powers.
For South Korea, the agreement could cement its place as a central hub for large-scale data infrastructure. For the UAE, it marks a significant move toward greater control over its own technological capabilities, setting the stage for more regional influence in years ahead.