ULSAN — Saudi officials in charge of the kingdom's smart city policy visited Ulsan, South Korea's hydrogen hub, to review the city's full-cycle hydrogen energy system and its future mobility facilities.
Eleven visitors, including senior officials at or above director-general level from seven Saudi agencies such as the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, along with representatives of the Misk Foundation, toured Ulsan's energy transition sites for two days beginning on Sept. 15, the Ulsan city government said on the 22nd.
The visit was part of a smart city capacity-building training program organized by the National Human Resources Development Institute. Ulsan's hydrogen pilot city was selected as a key field site for the program, which shares South Korea's expertise in urban governance and hydrogen economy operations in connection with Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's long-term national development strategy.
The delegation visited Ulsan City Hall on the first day, the 15th, for talks with Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook. The mayor outlined the city's energy logistics base, including its hydrogen port and its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil storage facilities, as well as the current status of its hydrogen city project.
The delegation then moved to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Demonstration Center to review core technology development and research and development infrastructure, before visiting the hydrogen pilot city in the Yuldong district of Buk-gu. There, participants inspected fuel cells installed in apartment complexes along with heating and hot water supply facilities and power transmission equipment, examining how hydrogen operates as an everyday urban energy source.
On the second day, the 16th, the group visited a local automaker's electrification production line to examine manufacturing competitiveness in next-generation vehicles and the shift toward eco-friendly mobility industries.
Ulsan plans to use the exchange as a basis for developing follow-up cooperation projects that link the city's strengths in hydrogen supply and utilization, mobility and fuel cells to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 smart city policy.
"It is highly significant that the officials responsible for the Saudi government's smart city policy experienced Ulsan's hydrogen industry and urban model firsthand," Kim said. "We will work to share Ulsan's experience and technological capabilities in building a hydrogen city with Saudi Arabia and turn that into tangible results in international cooperation."
