Samsung Electronics, a major South Korean technology company familiar to U.S. consumers for its smartphones and home appliances, is expanding its reach in the Middle East through a new partnership with Al Marwan Developments, a real estate developer in the United Arab Emirates.
The agreement puts Samsung in a stronger position within the Gulf’s fast-growing smart-city market, where governments are investing heavily in connected commercial districts and where global tech companies are competing for influence.
The deal, reported by regional outlets including Zawya, calls for Samsung Gulf Electronics to supply AI-enabled appliances and IoT systems for Al Marwan’s upcoming projects.
The developer operates in Sharjah, one of the UAE’s northern emirates, and has delivered residential and commercial sites such as The Hawa Residences, a two-acre complex with 268 apartments, along with townhouse communities and hotel developments.
Samsung’s role will center on District Eleven, an approximately eighty-acre mixed-use project designed to include office buildings, medical and educational facilities, and a hotel with 368 rooms.
Samsung plans to integrate its connected-device ecosystem throughout the site to improve energy efficiency and day-to-day convenience.
Doohee Lee, who leads Samsung Gulf Electronics, said the partnership will help embed a smart-technology infrastructure into one of Sharjah’s most ambitious real-estate projects.
The agreement reflects a broader trend of global tech companies positioning themselves in the Gulf as the region channels billions of dollars into new urban developments.
Samsung has already secured technology partnerships in Saudi Arabia for the NEOM and Red Sea projects, the Misk City development, and Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, all of which aim to incorporate large-scale smart-infrastructure systems.
The company has also shown interest in Masdar City, a roughly $20 billion plan in the UAE to build one of the world’s most sustainable urban zones by 2030.
Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong discussed potential cooperation with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the leader’s state visit to Korea last year, and more recent bilateral agreements have opened the door to expanded work in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and smart-home technologies.
