South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to bolster their bilateral cooperation in defense and the arms industry, Seoul's defense ministry said Friday.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik met with his UAE counterpart, Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Mazrouei, earlier in the day in the UAE, where they discussed ways to strengthen their cooperation as "special strategic partners," the ministry said.

The two defense chiefs also reviewed the achievements of their defense cooperation over the past 15 years and exchanged ideas on future-oriented cooperation going forward.

Shin remarked that his trip to the UAE will open up new opportunities for further bilateral cooperation in the arms industry.

Shin will travel to Saudi Arabia on Saturday to begin a three-day stay and will attend the World Defense Show in Riyadh. He will then hop over to Qatar for a two-day trip for talks with Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, Qatar's defense minister who doubles as its deputy prime minister. (Yonhap)