Koreans would love to feel at home in the UAE... and make sure you don’t miss out on their food fair

dubai — The UAE boasts about it being a melting pot for many nationalities and their cultures and South Korea is not an exception. With an agrressive plan to boost its ties with the UAE the country has and is in process of organising numerous events to popularise both UAE residents with South Korean culture, trade among others and vice-versa.

According to the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the combined trade between the UAE and South Korea has exceeded $147 billion in 2016. Within this trade value, UAE’s exports were $86 billion mainly through crude oil and petroleum and South Korea’s exports were $61 billion mainly through the automobile industry.

The UAE plays a significant and strategic role due to its geographic and economic position in the region.

Currently South Korea shares strong bilateral ties with the UAE especially in the fields of nuclear energy and infrastructure. The UAE and South Korea have also recently sealed an agreement to boost co-operation in agriculture and halal food exports. The trade value in food has increased at a rate of 25 per cent so far in 2016.

The UAE is home to more than 150 South Korean companies. Currently around 12,000-13,000 Koreans reside in UAE and it is expected to see the surge in numbers as more economic activity picks up between two nations.

The S. Korean trade bodies organised K-Food Fair 2016 bringing over 50 exporters and manufactures under one roof from South Korea along with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. Yoo Byung-lyul, director general of Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, said, “We take great pride in showcasing our delicacies in the UAE. The event has grown bigger and more popular each year. We are bringing a wider array of products and tasteful delights at the event this year. The UAE is a wonderful melting pot of many cultures and offers a great platform to take the tastes of Korea to the world.”