K-Entertainment Taps into the Middle Eastern Market

Josung Hae, Head of the Middle East Corporation, is meeting with Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a member of the UAE royal family, in Dubai on the 16th to discuss cooperation plans in the media technology sector. Provided by Galaxy Corporation

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Korean entertainment companies are expanding their business operations into the Middle East. While overseas expansion had previously focused on North America, Japan, and Southeast Asia, there is now a growing trend toward entering the Middle Eastern market. Moving beyond the traditional focus on performances and management, these companies are entering local markets by leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. This movement, centered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is seen as a new testing ground for Korea's entertainment industry.

According to the music industry on April 17, the global AI entertainment technology company Galaxy Corporation recently established its Middle Eastern hub, "Galaxy ME," in Dubai. This is the first time a Korean entertainment company has set up a local corporation in Dubai. Galaxy Corporation views this entry not merely as the establishment of a branch, but as the acquisition of a strategic base to expand its entertainment business into a technology-driven industry.

The company plans to prioritize the application of its business model, which combines AI-powered glasses and robotics-recently unveiled at a press conference in Seoul-to the Middle Eastern market. Through this, Galaxy Corporation aims to use the region as a strategic bridgehead for its global market expansion. The strategy also includes integrating real-time interpretation and remote viewing technologies into fan meetings and live performances to enhance added value. In effect, the Middle East has been chosen as the first stage for the company's so-called "Entertech 2.0" vision.

On April 16 in Dubai, Josunghae, CEO of Galaxy ME, met with Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a member of the UAE royal family, to discuss avenues for cooperation. Both sides agreed to work together in the fields of media and advanced technology, AI content development, and talent cultivation. Through official channels, Ahmed bin Mohammed stated, "This meeting served as an opportunity to discuss various collaboration possibilities in the media and advanced technology sectors," and added, "Dubai will contribute to enhancing its competitiveness as a global content and creative economy hub."

Dubai is fostering media and creative industries as core pillars of the city's competitiveness. Under the "Dubai Creative Economy Strategy," the goal is to raise the creative sector's contribution to the city's GDP to 5% by 2031. The Dubai Media Council also plans to expand the media industry's share of GDP to 3% by 2033.

View of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Pixabay

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This policy environment is creating opportunities for Korean companies equipped with both technological capabilities and content. At the "K-Expo UAE 2025" held in Dubai in November 2025, a total of 226 companies from sectors including content, food, beauty, consumer goods, sports, and publishing participated. This demonstrates that the Middle East is no longer a peripheral market but is emerging as a core hub for content consumption and distribution.

Korea and the UAE agreed in February this year to pursue cooperative projects worth 65 billion dollars, and in April, both countries pledged to accelerate the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Out of 140 major Korean conglomerates operating in the region, 56 have established a base in the UAE. Major groups such as Samsung and Hyundai Motor are already using the UAE as their Middle Eastern hub, and now entertainment companies are joining this trend.

However, establishing a local corporation does not immediately translate into tangible results. A representative from a major entertainment company commented, "The Middle Eastern market is evolving beyond simply consuming Korean Wave performances and is now becoming a testing ground for both technology and content. The success or failure of market entry will depend on how quickly a business model tailored to local demand, regulations, and consumption patterns can be established."

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