The 18th Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum, co-hosted by Korea-Arab Society(KAS), Jeju Peace Institute(JPI) and the Middle East Council on Global Affairs and sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, was held on 18 November 2022 at the Plaza Seoul Hotel. This is a track 1.5 forum participated by both private and public sectors and first launched in 2003, in Korea and the Middle East country on a rotational basis.

This year’s forum under the theme of “Building a Future-oriented Korea-Middle East Partnership for Mutual Benefit and Common Prosperity” featured three sessions of ‘A Changing Middle East: Approaches to Maximize Opportunities’, ‘Establishing a Cooperative Framework on Supply Chains and Future Industries’, ‘Ways to Address Food Security in Response to Global Instability’.

H.E. Park Yongmin, Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered welcoming remarks emphasizing that Korea is the right partner for cooperation with the Middle East towards post-oil economy and in cutting-edge future industries such as hydrogen, seawater desalination, smart city, AI and health sectors.

H.E. Lolwah Rashid Al-Khater, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, also delivered a welcoming remarks stating that the current status and potential relationship of Korea-Middle East as well as Korea-Qatar cooperation will expand further enhancing mutual understanding through this forum.

The forum was attended by around 120 people, including key figures in political, economic and academic fields as well as diplomats and students of both regions. It was a venue to seek ways to strengthen cooperation between the two regions and also to build networks among attendees.

In addition, an MOU signing ceremony was held for the three co-hosts, Korea-Arab Society, Jeju Peace Institute and the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. It was agreed to hold the forum in Doha and Seoul for the upcoming two years respectively. The cooperation with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs will pave the way to extend cooperation in academia and also various exchange activities not only between Korea and the Middle East but also between Korea and Qatar.