Korea-Middle East Health Cooperation Meeting... Discussing Ways to Enhance Health Cooperation with UAE

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the 2nd Korea-Middle East Health Cooperation Meeting on the 30th of last month, chaired by Ko Kyung-seok, Director General of the Africa and Middle East Bureau.

This meeting, a follow-up to the 1st meeting held on October 8, was held under the theme of promoting health cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a key country in the region and a foothold for the advancement of Korea's health industry into the Middle East.

The meeting was attended by officials from the Embassy of the UAE in Korea, including Ambassador Abdulla Saif Al-Nuaimi, reaffirming the two countries' commitment to expanding health cooperation. In addition to the UAE Embassy in Korea, related ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency, major hospitals (Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center), the Korea Medical Devices Industry Association, the Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association, and industry stakeholders interested in Korea-UAE health cooperation also participated.

In his opening remarks, Director General Ko Kyung-seok emphasized the importance of international cooperation to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has imposed many restrictions on daily life, and expressed hope that the current crisis would be transformed into an opportunity for Korea's health industry to enter the UAE market and transfer related capabilities, leading to mutually beneficial development of health and quarantine capacities between the two countries.

Ambassador Al-Nuaimi responded in his congratulatory speech by noting the significant progress made in health cooperation between Korea and the UAE and expressing hope that cooperation in various fields of the health industry, including the convergence of health and advanced technology and direct investment, would continue to grow.

At this meeting, Song Kyung-hee, Software Policy Officer of the Ministry of Science and ICT, attended to promote advanced technology-based health cooperation, which was discussed as a Korean strength for entering the UAE health market at the 1st meeting in October. She provided a detailed introduction of the AI doctor ‘Dr. Answer’ to the UAE side and explored the possibility of its entry into the UAE market.

Additionally, representatives from Seoul National University Hospital and Asan Medical Center discussed ways to expand the entry of Korean hospitals and medical personnel into the UAE. Associations related to medical devices and pharmaceuticals, as well as industries involved in diagnostic kits, airport and event quarantine consulting, and other COVID-19 quarantine-related sectors, participated to discuss ways to enhance cooperation with the UAE in the fields of quarantine and medical supplies and services.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained, "Based on the cooperation enhancement measures discussed at this meeting, we plan to accelerate diplomatic consultations to strengthen health cooperation with Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE and continue efforts to actively support the advancement of Korea's health industry into the Middle East."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.