South Korean delegation to visit UAE for high-speed rail, infrastructure bids

Seoul, April 16 (IANS) A high-level South Korean delegation plans to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week to bolster Seoul's bids for high-speed railway and infrastructure projects in the Middle East nation, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday.

Led by Land Minister Park Sang-woo, the delegation will meet with UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei on Friday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the transport and infrastructure sectors, with a focus on the UAE's envisioned high-speed railway project connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Yonhap news agency reported.

The ministry has formed a public-private sector team, including the state-run Korea National Railway, Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), Hyundai Rotem Co. and POSCO E&C Co., for the UAE railway project bid. The team has passed the prequalification stage of the bidding process.

The delegation plans to emphasise South Korea's technological excellence and economic viability of its high-speed rail models, citing recent successes in securing high-value export deals from Uzbekistan and Morocco.

The delegation will also discuss follow-up cooperation based on a memorandum of understanding signed last year during the UAE president's state visit to South Korea

Under the agreement, South Korea and the UAE aim to jointly enter third-country infrastructure markets, particularly in post-conflict recovery zones, by combining South Korea's construction expertise with UAE's financial capabilities.

--IANS

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