Moon leaves for Saudi Arabia for talks with crown prince

By Kim Deok-hyun

DUBAI, Jan. 18 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in departed for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after wrapping up a four-day trip to Dubai that included the signing of a preliminary deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to sell midrange surface-to-air missiles to the Persian Gulf nation.

The deal was signed after Moon held talks with UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Although Moon's office did not provide details of the deal, media reports have indicated the deal is likely to reach US$3.5 billion.

In addition to deepening defense ties, South Korea and the UAE agreed to expand their cooperation into hydrogen, science and technology, efforts to tackle climate change and space.

In Dubai, which is currently hosting the Expo 2020, Moon stepped up South Korea's campaign to host the World Expo in the nation's southeastern port city of Busan in 2030.

After arriving in Riyadh, Moon plans to hold talks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about ways to expand cooperation in public health, artificial intelligence, hydrogen and education, while bolstering cooperation in energy, infrastructure and construction.

After the talks, Moon will attend a business forum and meet Yasir al-Rumayyan, chairman of Aramco, the kingdom's state oil giant. The Aramco chairman also heads Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, known as the Public Investment Fund.

kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)