KOCCA to Host 2025 K-Expo Dubai
Dubai: Dubai has been chosen as the host city for the “2025 K-Expo United Arab Emirates (UAE),” a major pan-government initiative led by South Korea, set to be the largest Korean content and industry exhibition in the Middle East.
The event, dubbed “All about K-style,” is organised by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). It will run from November 15 to 18, 2025, across two iconic venues.
The expo aims to support the overseas expansion of high-quality Korean content and related industries, bringing together K-pop, dramas, and games with sectors like food, cosmetics, and tourism under one umbrella. The event underscores the deepening cultural and economic ties between the UAE and South Korea, aiming to strengthen their special strategic partnership.
Massive Public and Private Participation
The scale of the event is significant, with participation from six South Korean government ministries, 12 public institutions, and 226 Korean companies. Key participating ministries include the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
Two Venues, Two Experiences
The expo will unfold across two locations, offering different experiences for the public and industry professionals.
The first leg will be held at Global Village on November 15 and 16. As a signature cultural and tourism attraction, the venue will help embed K-content into the daily lives of UAE residents. The programme will include public performances by well-known K-pop artists, including EXO’s Chen, Punch, and the girl group Billlie.
The action then moves to the Dubai World Trade Centre, Hall 8, on November 17 and 18. This segment will function as a key business-to-business (B2B) platform, hosting consultation meetings to connect Korean companies in animation, gaming, broadcasting, character licensing, K-beauty, and K-food with local buyers and partners from across the MENA region.
A New Model for the Korean Wave
The K-Expo is designed as a convergence platform, showcasing how Korean content can drive other industries. This year’s event will present three global market-ready models that fuse content with consumer goods.
Attendees will see how games blend with lifestyle, witness how character intellectual property (IP) can be turned into an immersive DJ performance through a collaboration with LG Electronics’ “LG XBOOM,” and experience the harmony of content and cuisine through a live cooking programme hosted by actor and TV personality Soo-young Ryu.
Building a Lasting Partnership
Hyun-seok Yoo, Acting President of KOCCA, highlighted the expo’s strategic importance. “K-Expo is significant in that it builds a new platform for cooperation between Korea and the United Arab Emirates based on the special strategic partnership between the two countries, connecting culture and industry,” he said.
“By presenting a new model of the Korean Wave that blends content, cosmetics, food, and tourism into a single narrative, we aim to move beyond fandom and build industrial trust in the region. We plan to establish this event as a recurring platform and further strengthen the foundation for cultural and industrial cooperation between the two countries,” he added.
The Dubai event follows similar expos scheduled for Canada in August and Spain in September, marking the UAE as a pivotal hub for Korea’s cultural and industrial outreach.