Hashed CEO to Participate in Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul Event

Global digital asset and frontier technology investment firm Hashed announced that CEO Kim Se-jun will participate as a panelist at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul event taking place in Seoul on September 16. Kim will join the session titled 'Abu Dhabi as a Gateway to India and Africa.' The forum, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul on September 16. It begins with an opening speech by Shams Al Ali Khalaf Al Daheri, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Community Development Authority and Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, followed by a keynote address by Jamal Abdulrahman Al Suwaidi, Ambassador of the UAE to South Korea.

Subsequent sessions include the first panel on technology commercialization through Abu Dhabi, a second panel featuring Kim Se-jun, a memorandum signing, corporate pitch sessions, and lunch networking. The forum reflects Abu Dhabi's evolving role from a capital allocator to a hub for direct industry attraction. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office, a government agency providing single-window support from licensing to business operations, manages four industry clusters: smart and autonomous driving, agri-food and water resources, healthcare, and fintech/digital assets.

Abu Dhabi's non-oil exports grew 15% between 2023 and 2024. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office aims to generate approximately $136 million in additional GDP through cluster programs by 2025-2026. The forum's Seoul event stems from a strategic decision to combine Korean technological capabilities with Abu Dhabi's capital, regulatory framework, and geographic position as a bridge between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The UAE-South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, effective in 2026, has further improved trade and investment conditions between the two countries.

The forum will focus on eight key sectors: AI/robotics, advanced manufacturing, financial services, healthcare/biotech, clean/renewable energy, logistics/infrastucture, media/gaming/sports, and agriculture/food security. Hashed maintains offices in Seoul, San Francisco, Singapore, Bangkok, Bengaluru, and Abu Dhabi, supporting Korean companies' Middle East expansion and connecting them with local institutions and regulators through its Abu Dhabi office. Kim Se-jun will discuss how businesses can establish structures in Abu Dhabi before expanding into neighboring markets like India and Africa, addressing the conditions domestic companies face when executing this strategy.