EDGE Group and South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, or DAPA, have signed a defense industry cooperation framework during a high-level visit by Republic of Korea officials to Abu Dhabi.
What Does the EDGE Group-DAPA Agreement Cover?
The framework outlines broad industrial collaboration across integrated air defense, advanced aircraft and maritime capabilities. Officials said cooperation under the bilateral defense partnership is expected to total approximately $35 billion, reflecting expanded engagement between the two countries’ defense sectors.
Who Signed the Defense Industry Cooperation Framework?
Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE president for strategic research and advanced technology affairs and chairman of EDGE, and Lee, Yong Cheol, minister of DAPA, signed the memorandum of understanding. Senior representatives from both governments attended the signing ceremony.
How Does the Partnership Expand Bilateral Defense Ties?
The framework moves beyond a traditional buyer-seller relationship and establishes cooperation in design, development, training and sustainment. The agreement builds on the countries’ Special Strategic Partnership and is intended to support longer-term industrial alignment across key defense domains.
Deepening EDGE & South Korea Defense Ties
The partnership follows an agreement signed in November 2025 between EDGE Group and South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace to explore collaboration in advanced defense areas, including air and missile defense, long-range precision strike, unmanned systems, and artificial intelligence-driven defense applications.