Lee Jae-yong, the chairman of Samsung Electronics, visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to inspect a major power infrastructure construction site and encourage local employees. During his visit, he sought to explore strategies for entering new business ventures in the Middle East while listening to the concerns of dispatched employees navigating geopolitical risks.
On October 21, local time, Lee visited the construction site of the Al Dafra gas-fired power plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where he reviewed key facilities and assessed the construction schedule and safety management status. The Al Dafra plant is a large-scale power infrastructure facility with a capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW), developed in a consortium with local contractor Trozan General Contracting by Samsung C&T. It plays a crucial role in meeting the increasing power demand driven by industrial development in the UAE and supplying electricity for advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.
Following the site inspection, Lee held a meeting with executives from Samsung C&T and Samsung E&A to discuss business directions in response to changes in the Middle Eastern market. Samsung aims to actively seek opportunities in future new businesses, including AI data centers and energy infrastructure, based on its existing achievements in nuclear and gas combined power generation.
Lee also shared lunch with employees at the site cafeteria, expressing gratitude for their hard work. He stated, "I deeply appreciate the responsibility and effort each of you shows in your roles," and emphasized, "The company always prioritizes your safety and health."
This visit is part of Lee's ongoing commitment to support dispatched employees in the Middle East. On October 16, he provided local gift certificates and letters of appreciation to 730 dispatched employees and their families across nine Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran. Earlier in March, he had sent gifts and local gift certificates to over 500 employees and their families in three Middle Eastern countries.
Lee has positioned the Middle East as a key hub for future growth and has continued to build a global network. Following visits to Abu Dhabi in February 2019 and December 2021, he chose the UAE as his first overseas business trip destination after becoming chairman in 2022, visiting the Barakah nuclear power plant. In November of last year, he accompanied the presidential economic delegation to engage with key figures in the Middle East.
Lee has met multiple times with prominent Middle Eastern leaders, including UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to foster cooperation in advanced industries such as semiconductors, 5G, AI, and smart cities.
Samsung affiliates are also undertaking large-scale projects in the Middle East. Samsung C&T has expanded its collaboration on the joint development of small modular reactors (SMRs) with the UAE Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) based on its construction achievements at the Barakah nuclear power plant, signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in July of last year. Samsung E&A is involved in the $2.5 billion TA'ZIZ methanol project in the UAE and a $4.7 billion ammonia plant construction project in Saudi Arabia.
Samsung Electronics is participating in the large-scale Open RAN infrastructure development for Saudi Aramco, supplying technology for industrial mobile communications. Additionally, it plans to establish a new subsidiary in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2024 to accelerate its market penetration in the Middle East and North Africa (SEMENA) region.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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