DUBAI, October 30, 2025 — The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of South Korea and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) have announced the launch of “2025 K-Expo UAE: All About K-Style”, a large-scale cultural and industrial exhibition to be held in Dubai from November 15 to 18, 2025. The event aims to promote Korea’s creative industries and support their expansion into international markets, particularly across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The K-Expo will bring together a diverse range of Korean Wave (Hallyu) industries — including music, drama, games, webtoons, food, cosmetics, and tourism — under one roof. Following successful editions in Canada (August) and Spain (September), the Dubai expo is positioned as a landmark event to deepen the special strategic partnership between Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
Largest K-Content Expo in the Middle East
This year’s event is expected to be the largest K-content and industry exhibition ever held in the Middle East, featuring participation from six government ministries, 12 public institutions, and 226 Korean companies.
Participating ministries include the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
Supporting organizations include the Korea Tourism Organization, National Museum Foundation of Korea, Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, Korea Cosmetic Industry Institute, Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, and others.
Partnership with Dubai’s Global Village
The first part of the K-Expo will take place on November 15 and 16 at Global Village, Dubai’s largest cultural and entertainment destination. The event will feature live performances by EXO’s Chen, Punch, and Billlie, offering UAE residents a closer connection to Korean pop culture and entertainment.
The second phase, on November 17 and 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (Hall 8), will host business consultations linking Korean companies in animation, gaming, broadcasting, character licensing, K-beauty, and K-food with local buyers and industry partners from across the MENA region.
K-Expo as a Korean Wave Convergence Platform
With the theme of “convergence,” this year’s K-Expo highlights how Korean content can fuse with lifestyle industries to create global export models. Key exhibits include:
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A game-inspired lifestyle experience recreating scenes from the popular game inZOI
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An immersive DJ performance merging character IP with LG Electronics’ LG XBOOM technology
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A live cooking show led by actor and TV personality Soo-young Ryu, blending entertainment with Korean cuisine
Strengthening Korea–UAE Cooperation
Speaking about the event, Hyun-seok Yoo, Acting President of KOCCA, said:
“K-Expo builds a new platform for cooperation between Korea and the UAE based on our special strategic partnership, connecting culture and industry. By presenting a model that integrates content, cosmetics, food, and tourism, we aim to move beyond fandom and build long-term industrial trust in the region.”
He added that KOCCA plans to make the K-Expo an annual event and further expand its reach beyond Dubai, establishing a lasting foundation for cultural and industrial collaboration between Korea and the Arab world.
