South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik (right) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attend a welcome ceremony before their annual security meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul on Nov 13, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

SEOUL - South Korea's defense minister Shin Won-sik departed on Thursday for a seven-day trip to the Middle East to hold ministerial talks and attend an arms exhibition in Saudi Arabia, the ministry said.

During his trip, Shin will hold talks with his counterpart, Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Mazrouei, in the United Arab Emirates and meet South Korean troops from a special warfare contingent known as the Akh Unit deployed there since 2011.

He will also travel to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for the World Defense Show in Riyadh before heading to Qatar to meet Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, the country's defense minister.

South Korea has emerged in recent years as one of the world's biggest arms exporters with sales jumping to $17 billion in 2022 from $7.25 billion the year before, data from the defense ministry showed.

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The country's arms exports to the Middle East grew nearly tenfold between 2013 and 2022, according to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Experts say arms sales have been buoyed by South Korea's price competitiveness and ability to ensure speedy delivery.