By Jung Joo-ri and Yoon Hee Young
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae's official Facebook page


President Moon Jae-in on Jan. 16 held his first official event in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), "UAE-Korea Business Roundtable on Hydrogen Partnership," at a hotel in Dubai and hosted by the Korea International Trade Association and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "This industry (hydrogen) is key to achieving carbon neutrality," he said. "It undoubtedly is not an easy process to reach carbon neutrality, but if our countries band together and cooperate to foster the hydrogen industry, we will be able to have new opportunities amid challenges."

President Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook on Jan. 16 attend an official event for Expo 2020 Dubai's "Korea National Day" at Al Wasl Plaza in Dubai. "I hope that today's Korea National Day will write a shining page in the history of the Dubai Expo's success," he said.


President Moon on Jan. 17 attended the Korea Innovative Tech Fair 2022 at the Dubai Exhibition Center to encourage participating companies there as well as promote Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Held on the occasion of "Korea National Day," the event featured 48 small and medium businesses and startups from Korea as well as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors. Nearly 300 foreign buyers from the Middle East, Southwest Asia and Central Asia also attended.


First lady Kim on Jan. 17 visited Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services and met hearing-impaired students of taekwondo. "It is our society and country's responsibility to create opportunities for children with disabilities to enter society through education," she said, encouraging them by giving taekwondo belts inscribed with Hangeul names and tying the belts on students.


The presidential couple on Jan. 18 arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and were greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

President Moon on Jan. 19 visited the construction section site of the Riyadh Metro project being carried out by Samsung C&T Corp. to encourage the workers. "Korea is a key partner for the Vision 2030 strategy being pursued by Saudi Arabia," he said. "At the summit with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday, we also agreed to greatly expand bilateral cooperation."

"The Korean Government will continue to actively support businesses, so they have more opportunities to enter Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East and to take part in construction projects."

First lady Kim on Jan. 20 met Korea.net Honorary Reporters and K-influencers from Egypt at the meeting "K-culture, colored with the Nile" held at the hotel St. Regis Cairo in the Egyptian capital. "All of you who deliver good messages about K-culture are already making other people happy," she said.

President Moon on Jan. 21 met workers of Hyundai Rotem at Adly Mansour Station of Cairo's Metro Line 3, the largest light-to-medium maintenance base in the Middle East and Africa as well as the delivery site for 256 vehicles of Line 3 that Hyundai Rotem earned the contract for in 2017. The president said he boarded a train built by the workers he met en route to the site, calling the car "very smart and nice both inside and outside."

etoilejr@korea.kr