UAE Ambassador to Seoul Abdulla Mohammed Al- Maainah (5th from right) cuts the cake with other dignitaries.

UAE Ambassador to Seoul Abdulla Mohammed Al- Maainah and his spouse, Mrs. Aida Al-Maainah hosted a grand reception at a Seoul hotel on the occasion of the 39th National Day of UAE on Dec. 2, 2010.

Nearly 1,000 people from all walks of life were invited
to the dinner reception.

Among the guests were scores of top foreign envoys operating in Seoul, Korean government officials, top politicians, prominent businessmen, artists, journalists, and other high-profile opinion leaders.

UAE Ambassador to Seoul Abdulla Mohammed Al- Maainah

In a welcoming address, Amb. Al-Maainah, emphasized the growing importance of the bilateral ties between UAE and South Korea. He urged for even closer cooperation in the future between the two countries.

The congratulatory speech was delivered by Minister Choi Kyung-Hwan of South Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

Earlier on June 15, 2010, the UAE ambassadorial couple also hosted a reception in a Seoul hotel on the occasion of 30th anniversary of UAE-Korea diplomatic relations.

The dinner reception brought together hundreds of guests.

UAE Ambassador to Seoul Abdulla Mohammed Al- Maainah poses with other ambassadors and guests.

Growing Bilateral Ties

The bilateral ties between the UAE and South Korea has developed by leaps and bounds since they established full diplomatic relations in June, 1980.

As recently as a month earlier, the two countries launched "Korea-UAE Business Council" to further strengthen already brisk business ties.

The launching ceremony of the business council held at a Seoul hotel on May 27, 2010, was joined by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and by South Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-Chan.

Mrs. Aida Al-Maainah (3rd from left) poses with her friends.

Scores of major South Korean and UAE businesses are the founding members of the council: They include Hyundai Motors, SK, LG, GS, Doosan, STX from Korea and Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala), a leading business development and investment company based in Abu Dhabi, Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC),
and state-run Etihad Airways.

The business council was formed in the wake of South Korea's winning earlier this year of 20-billion-US-Dollar deal to export nuclear power plant to UAE.

UAE Amb. Al-Maainah was instrumental in the successful conclusion of the gigantic business deal before, during, and even after the transaction.

The South Korean Embassy was built in Abu Dhabi in 1980. About seven years later, the UAE opened its own embassy in Seoul.

UAE Ambassador Abdulla Mohammed Al- Maainah (center) and his spouse, Mrs. Aida Al-Maainah, poses with Chairman Yun Ik-Han of The Seoul Times at tis 39th National Day reception.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have been developing bilateral relations in the spheres of economics, politics, and cultural exchange.

In particular trade between South Korea and the UAE has grown sharply over the past five years.

The bilateral trade volume mounted to 24.9 billion US dollars in 2008, great leap from 9.8 billion dollars in 2004.

UAE imports South Korea’s electronic products, textiles, automobiles, and auto parts.

UAE in return exports mainly crude oil to South Korea as it is South Korea’s second largest oil supplier in the world, only next to Saudi Arabia.

A host of South Korean companies are now operating in the UAE. They include POSCO, Daewoo Electronics, STX Construction Company, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Company, and Samsung C&T Corporation.

About UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Arabian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. The capital and second largest city of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi. It is also the country's center of political, industrial, and cultural activities.

Before 1971, the UAE was known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference to a 19th-century truce between the United Kingdom and several Arab Sheikhs. The name Pirate Coast was also used in reference to the area's emirates in the 18th to early 20th century.

The political system of the United Arab Emirates, based on the 1971 Constitution, comprises several intricately connected governing bodies. Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language.

The United Arab Emirates has the world's sixth largest oil reserves and possesses one of the most developed economies in the Middle East. It is currently the thirty-sixth largest economy at market exchange rates, and has a high per capita gross domestic product, with a nominal per capita GDP of $54,607 as per the IMF.

The country is fourteenth largest in purchasing power per capita and has a relatively high Human Development Index for the Asian continent, ranking 31st globally. The United Arab Emirates is classified as a high income developing economy by the IMF.

The United Arab Emirates is a founding member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and a member state of the Arab League. It is also a member of the United Nations, Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the OPEC, and the World Trade Organization.