Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is stepping up the South Korean conglomerate’s focus on energy infrastructure and artificial intelligence, visiting a major power project in the United Arab Emirates as demand for electricity-intensive data centers creates new opportunities across the Middle East.
Lee visited the Al Dhafra gas-fired power plant construction site in Abu Dhabi on October 21, where he reviewed construction progress and safety management alongside employees, Samsung Electronics said October 22. He also met executives from Samsung C&T and Samsung E&A to discuss changes in the regional market and strategies for expanding future business.
The Al Dhafra project is being built by Samsung C&T in a consortium with UAE-based Trojan General Contracting. The large-scale power infrastructure facility is intended to help meet rising electricity demand as the UAE expands its industrial base. It is also expected to support energy requirements from advanced industries, including AI data centers, which require substantial and reliable power supplies.
Samsung is positioning the UAE as a strategic hub for its Middle East operations. Samsung C&T has participated in construction work for the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant, while Samsung E&A uses the country as a base for projects across the Middle East and Africa, including oil refining, gas processing and petrochemical facilities.
The group is seeking additional opportunities in energy infrastructure and AI-related businesses as the UAE pursues economic diversification and industrial development. South Korea and the UAE maintain a special strategic partnership, with cooperation spanning nuclear power, energy and infrastructure.
During the visit, Lee also had lunch with employees at a dining facility used by workers at the construction site. He discussed their living and working conditions, listened to concerns and suggestions, and thanked them for continuing construction work in difficult conditions. He separately held a meeting with Samsung C&T and Samsung E&A employees to discuss challenges and operational issues related to overseas projects.
The visit comes as conflict and geopolitical tensions across the Middle East have heightened concerns about the safety and working conditions of personnel stationed in the region.
On October 16, Lee sent gifts and letters of appreciation to 730 employees of Samsung affiliates deployed across nine Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran, as well as to their family members living both overseas and in South Korea.
Employees stationed in the region received gift certificates worth 3 million to 5 million won, equivalent to approximately $2,100 to $3,500. Family members living in South Korea received traditional-market gift certificates worth 2 million to 3 million won, or roughly $1,400 to $2,100, redeemable at traditional markets and local small businesses.
In his letter, Lee thanked employees for carrying out their responsibilities despite difficult circumstances and emphasized that the company puts their safety and health first.
Lee previously sent gifts and letters to about 500 employees and their families based in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in March.
Samsung’s push into Middle Eastern energy infrastructure comes as the expansion of AI computing increases the importance of dependable electricity supplies. By drawing on its construction and engineering capabilities, the group is seeking to strengthen its position in a region investing in industrial growth and next-generation infrastructure.
