By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) held the Korea–Saudi Vice-Ministerial Meeting on Industry with Abdullah bin Ali Al-Ahmari, Assistant Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Planning and Development of Saudi Arabia, at the Government Complex Seoul on October 27, to discuss ways to strengthen industrial cooperation between the two countries and Saudi Arabia’s support for Korean business projects underway in the Kingdom.
The meeting was also significant as it reviewed progress on major industrial cooperation initiatives discussed at the 5th Korea–Saudi Vision 2030 Committee, held in Seoul on September 27.
Vice Minister Moon highlighted that Korean companies operating in Saudi Arabia have been actively contributing to the realization of Vision 2030, the Saudi government’s national strategy for economic diversification in the post-oil era.
He requested continued attention and support from the Saudi government to ensure smooth implementation of related projects. Both sides agreed to maintain close government-level communication to support the progress of major industrial cooperation projects in Saudi Arabia’s core manufacturing sectors—most notably, International Maritime Industries (IMI), being developed within the King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services as the largest shipyard in the Middle East, and Hyundai Motor Company’s first assembly plant in the Middle East, now under construction in King Abdullah Economic City.
In addition, the two vice ministers agreed to advance practical cooperation through relevant research institutes on the joint development of eco-friendly shipbuilding technologies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, a new initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia and adopted at the 5th Korea–Saudi Vision 2030 Committee Meeting.
They also agreed to continue discussions on establishing hydrogen vehicle infrastructure, including the installation of hydrogen refueling stations and hydrogen quality management systems in Saudi Arabia, which Korea proposed as a new cooperation project during the same meeting.
Vice Minister Moon further noted that as both countries are investing heavily in the AI industry as a future growth engine, Korea and Saudi Arabia should accelerate cooperation in AI infrastructure, including advanced semiconductors and data centers, while also expanding collaboration in AI applications such as digital twins, cloud computing, and robotics.
Assistant Minister Al-Ahmari welcomed these proposals and agreed to work toward their practical implementation.
