South Korean President Park Geun-hye was to meet with Qatar’s emir on Sunday in the second such summit in just four months to discuss ways to further boost bilateral economic cooperation.
The summit scheduled at 11:40 a.m. (local time) comes as Park winds down her four-nation Middle East swing that was focused on expanding economic ties beyond oil and construction.
The two leaders met four months ago when Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani made a state visit to Seoul. In November, Park told Al Thani that the two sides can develop ties beyond energy and construction to health care, defense and information and communication technology.
Middle East countries are pushing to diversify their economies, which are heavily dependent on oil, ahead of the inevitable advent of a post-oil era. South Korea believes that such attempts could present new business opportunities for its companies.
South Korea in recent years has emerged as one of the most-favored destinations for foreigners who seek medical treatment.
In 2013, more than 3,500 people from the Middle East visited South Korea on medical tours, up 54 percent from the previous year, according to data released by South Korea’s presidential office.
Qatar plans to spend more than $100 billion to expand its infrastructure such as roads and accommodation facilities as well as stadiums to prepare for the 2022 World Cup, which Park said would present new business opportunities for South Korean companies.
Qatar is South Korea’s No. 1 supplier of natural gas and fifth-largest supplier of crude oil.
Earlier this week, Park also visited Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. (Yonhap)
