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Abu Dhabi’s investment push in South Korea has yielded agreements spanning AI, gaming, and digital finance, with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio), ADGM, and Presight among the dealmakers, according to an Abu Dhabi Media Office statement. The agreements came during a delegation visit involving 88 public- and private-sector entities.
Three plays on the finance front:
- Connecting the two markets: Adio partnered with Korean insurer Hanwha Life — which teamed up with Shorooq in 2024 — to explore digital finance, capital-market connectivity, and tokenized assets. Separately, ADGM, Hanwha Asset Management, and Hana Financial Group will look at stablecoins and cross-border payments, including remittances between Abu Dhabi and Korea and digital-asset infrastructure;
- Bringing in Korean investors: Adio signed with venture firm Hashed to connect Korean companies and financial institutions with investment opportunities in Abu Dhabi;
- Moving from MoUs to money: Further Asset Management is investing in Korean blockchain firm Four Pillars to develop digital-asset infrastructure for institutional investors, though the investment size was not disclosed.
AI and gaming are getting their own agreements: Presight signed an MoU with Korean startup accelerator Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator to support startup investment flow and cross-border expansion, and with AI infrastructure firm Dtonic to explore smart-city applications and AI-driven data infrastructure. Adio also signed with Korean game developer Kakao Games to explore using Abu Dhabi as a base for regional and international expansion, including publishing, localization, and live operations.
BACKGROUND- The UAE-Korea CEPA came into force in May, cutting trade barriers across key sectors. Earlier in the year, a UAE delegation had also visited Seoul for talks on AI infrastructure, data centers, and semiconductors, while the most recent one included representatives from Adio, Hub71, and Emirates Global Aluminium and also included AI as a key window for collaboration.
IN CONTEXT- The two countries are already sitting on a USD 65 bn pipeline agreed upon following a delegation in February, with a key outcome being a USD 35 bn defense MoU.
