"Your passion and dedication in fulfilling your responsibilities under challenging conditions serve as a great example to everyone." This message was part of a thank-you letter sent by Lee Jae-Yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, to employees dispatched to the Middle East on October 16. Five days later, he traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to inspect operations and explore future business opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and energy infrastructure.
His visit mirrors that of his late father, Lee Kun-Hee, who emphasized creative management and led efforts to identify future growth drivers at a high-rise construction site in Dubai 20 years ago.
According to Samsung Electronics, Lee visited the construction site of the Al Dhafra gas power plant in Abu Dhabi on October 21. The plant, which has a capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW), is being built in partnership with local contractor Trozan General Contracting.
During his visit, Lee inspected key facilities and checked on the safety and health of employees, addressing their concerns. On October 8, 2006, Lee Kun-Hee visited the construction site of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, where he encouraged workers by stating, "You, who work diligently without forgetting the pride of building the world's best building, are the true backbone of Samsung and our economy." Lee Jae-Yong, then an executive at Samsung Electronics, accompanied him on that visit.
Lee Kun-Hee also highlighted the importance of creative management to enhance the future growth potential of each company. Since then, Samsung's business in the Middle East has expanded from construction projects, including buildings and oil and gas plants, to nuclear power and advanced energy infrastructure.
As Middle Eastern countries accelerate efforts to reduce their dependence on oil and foster advanced industries like AI, the importance of building related infrastructure has grown. A notable example is the UAE's announcement last year of plans to establish a 5 GW AI data center complex involving global companies such as OpenAI and NVIDIA.
Samsung has been actively involved in this transition. In July 2022, Samsung C&T signed a memorandum of understanding with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) for the joint development of global nuclear power and small modular reactor (SMR) projects. Samsung E&A is also engaged in energy plant projects in the UAE, including refining, petrochemicals, and eco-friendly methanol.
The extent to which Samsung's business in the Middle East will expand into AI infrastructure and advanced energy sectors will depend on future project acquisitions and investment outcomes. Lee's recent visit is seen as an effort to connect the business foundation built in the Middle East with new industrial demands.
Lee has consistently focused on management in the Middle East. He inspected the Riyadh subway construction site in Saudi Arabia in 2019 and chose the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE as his first overseas business site after becoming chairman in December 2022. During the 2023 Chuseok holiday, he visited research and development centers in Israel, production facilities in Egypt, and tunnel construction sites in Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, he has built a strong personal network through ongoing exchanges with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visits to the region and their trips to South Korea.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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