Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently visited the UAE.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently visited the UAE. The region is currently in a near-wartime geopolitical tension environment, and analysts say the trip will accelerate Samsung Group's business in the Middle East, covering the supply of advanced chips for the construction and operation of AI data centers, as well as the expansion of combined-cycle power plant projects. This is Lee Jae-yong's first visit to the Middle East in nearly a year, and the first stop of his trip was an inspection of the Al Dhafra gas power plant project. The project was won by a consortium formed by Samsung C&T and UAE builder Trojan General Contracting, with a total investment of US$1.35 billion and planned to go into operation next year. Once completed, the Al Dhafra plant can provide about 1 gigawatt of power to AI data centers and is core infrastructure of the UAE's national "AI transformation" strategy. Lee Jae-yong and senior UAE officials have already established solid connections, and the industry expects him to advance business, secure orders and implement investments amid the current complex near-wartime environment.