South Korea, Saudi to boost ties on energy, defence; $30bn in deals signed

SEOUL: South Korean and Saudi Arabian leaders pledged stronger ties on Thursday in the fields of energy, defence and construction, as the oil-rich kingdom signed investment agreements worth $30 billion with South Korean companies.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he hoped the two nations can expand cooperation, calling the Middle Eastern country a key partner for its economy and energy security.

Yoon held talks in Seoul with Prince Mohammed, who arrived on Thursday from Bali, Indonesia, where both had participated in a conference of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies.

Yoon hoped to see South Korean companies’ participation in projects such as the NEOM smart city project in Saudi Arabia and further cooperation in the defence industry and future energy such as hydrogen, his office said in a statement.

Prince Mohammed noted the role of South Korean businesses over the years in the development of Saudi Arabia’s national infrastructure and wanted to see stronger cooperation with South Korea based on the trust built between the two countries.

“In particular, he said he would like to drastically strengthen cooperation with South Korea in the areas of defence industry, infrastructure and construction,” Yoon’s office said.

Earlier, South Korea’s industry ministry said companies including Samsung C&T Corp and POSCO Holdings Inc had signed over 20 agreements with Saudi counterparts in fields such as energy cooperation, railways, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and gaming.

Saudi-based Asharq TV quoted the kingdom’s investment minister as saying deals signed on Thursday were worth $30 billion. It also quoted the Saudi Venture Capital Company as saying it had agreed to establish seven specialised funds.

Among the agreements, Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) and four other Korean firms signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to build and operate a hydrogen and ammonia production plant in the Saudi kingdom, the company said.