The SC
INT'L MOD
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South Korea offers the UAE a $15 billion defense partnership that includes joint manufacturing of the KF-21 fighter
November 2025:
South Korea seeks to conclude a defense partnership with the United Arab Emirates worth $15 billion, centered around the advanced KF-21 “Borami” fighter, within the framework of a project that includes joint production and plans for cooperative export. If the deal is completed, Abu Dhabi will be able to obtain a new generation multi-role combat aircraft, while Seoul expands its presence in the global arms market.
According to Bloomberg, South Korea has been working, since November 19, 2025, to market a huge arms package to the UAE that places the KF-21 fighter at the heart of cooperation. The visit of Korean President Lee Jae-myung to Abu Dhabi coincided with the Dubai Airshow, and resulted in a political commitment to establishing a joint value chain that includes development, local production, and joint export of key systems. The director of the President's Office, Kang Hoon-sik, confirmed that this model may open the door to contracts exceeding $15 billion for Korean companies, while officers from the UAE Air Force toured the facilities of the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) company, and even tried flying on a prototype of the fighter.
Seoul is offering Abu Dhabi to enter as a partner in the KF-21 system, including the possibility of assembling the airframe within the Emirates, and integrating Emirati or EDGE subsystems, in addition to launching joint marketing campaigns for the aircraft in the Middle East and African markets. In practice, this means that the UAE will obtain a new first-line fighter, along with a share in long-term maintenance, modernization and export revenues, at a time when regional demand for non-American and non-Russian fighters is increasing.
November 2025:
South Korea seeks to conclude a defense partnership with the United Arab Emirates worth $15 billion, centered around the advanced KF-21 “Borami” fighter, within the framework of a project that includes joint production and plans for cooperative export. If the deal is completed, Abu Dhabi will be able to obtain a new generation multi-role combat aircraft, while Seoul expands its presence in the global arms market.
According to Bloomberg, South Korea has been working, since November 19, 2025, to market a huge arms package to the UAE that places the KF-21 fighter at the heart of cooperation. The visit of Korean President Lee Jae-myung to Abu Dhabi coincided with the Dubai Airshow, and resulted in a political commitment to establishing a joint value chain that includes development, local production, and joint export of key systems. The director of the President's Office, Kang Hoon-sik, confirmed that this model may open the door to contracts exceeding $15 billion for Korean companies, while officers from the UAE Air Force toured the facilities of the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) company, and even tried flying on a prototype of the fighter.
Seoul is offering Abu Dhabi to enter as a partner in the KF-21 system, including the possibility of assembling the airframe within the Emirates, and integrating Emirati or EDGE subsystems, in addition to launching joint marketing campaigns for the aircraft in the Middle East and African markets. In practice, this means that the UAE will obtain a new first-line fighter, along with a share in long-term maintenance, modernization and export revenues, at a time when regional demand for non-American and non-Russian fighters is increasing.
