Hanwha Systems opens UAE branch as core base for Mideast exports

South Korea's Hanwha Systems Co. on Thursday opened a branch office in Abu Dubai, the United Arab Emirates in the wake of the company's business growth in that country like exports worth 1.3 trillion won ($1 billion) of the mid-range surface-to-air missile Cheongung II.

The opening ceremony was attended by officials from the Tawazun Economic Council under the UAE Ministry of Defence and the company Tawazun Technology and Innovation, as well as core members of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense. South Korea was represented by personnel deployed from the Korean Air Force, staff from the Korean Embassy in the UAE, and Hanwha Systems CEO Eoh Sung-chul.

The Abu Dhabi branch will serve as a beachhead for pursuing overseas business and expanding operations to neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia through aggressive business activity. It will also act as a core base for Hanwha Systems' Mideast operations by searching for new business opportunities such as strengthening networks with major partners in the region for smooth implementation of and support for the Cheongung-II project and development of a follow-up radar business.

"The Abu Dhabi branch is an outpost for pioneering the markets of the Gulf Cooperation Council and North Africa and seeks new export routes through technical and business cooperation with promising partners in the region. We will do our best to contribute to the raising of national power of countries beyond Korea," CEO Eo said. 

Write to Kyung-Min Kang at kkm1026@hankyung.com