An expo for South Korean products will be held in the United Arab Emirates next year as both nations seek to step up business and economic cooperation, the finance ministry said Friday.

The “Made In Korea 2012” expo will be the first of its kind to be held in the Middle East region for Korean products. It will be held in Abu Dhabi in May, according to the ministry.

The expo will be sponsored by commerce and tourism agencies of the UAE, the ministry said. The organizers seek to attract around 300 Korean enterprises in diverse fields, including vehicles, textiles, health and information telecommunications.

The move is in line with the Seoul government’s efforts to expand its economic and business ties with the UAE in a bid to use the region as its strategic hub for entering other Middle East markets.

The UAE is currently pushing to diversify its oil-dependent economic structure and hope South Korean companies actively advance into the country, the ministry said.

“We have agreed with the UAE to cooperate in sharing our development experiences and helping the country with its industry diversification efforts,” the ministry said. “Such economic cooperation will provide our companies with a good opportunity.” 

(Yonhap News)