Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul has visited a South Korean military contingent in the United Arab Emirates to encourage troops for their service there, Seoul's defense ministry said Thursday.

Shin met with members of the Akh unit on Wednesday after he arrived in the country for talks with his Emirati counterpart, Mattar Salem Ali Al Dhaheri, the previous day.

Launched in 2011, the Akh unit has been carrying out various missions in the country, including training UAE troops and protecting Korean nationals in the region in case of emergencies. Akh means brother in Arabic.

Shin told troops that their service in the UAE serves as the "sustenance" for the development of bilateral ties and asked them to complete their mission safely.

Shin will wrap up his six-day Middle East trip later in the day that also took him to Saudi Arabia. (Yonhap)