Saudi Arabia is rapidly emerging as a strategic partner in the global content industry, fueled by surging demand for K-pop, K-dramas, and variety shows among younger audiences. The recent K-Content Expo, held in Riyadh from July 22–24, underscored this momentum and opened new doors for cross-border collaboration.
Hosted by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the three-day event brought together 30 Korean content companies and over 80 partners from 12 Middle Eastern countries. More than 400 one-on-one export consultations took place, with multiple deals and co-production discussions moving forward.
“Korean content spans diverse genres and delivers depth in storytelling. It is immersive without being overly provocative,” said Juhab Bhatti, Producer at Saudi Arabia’s leading broadcaster Al Arabiya.
Interest extended to animation, webtoons, and gaming. Market insights revealed a strong regional preference for hyper-casual games and family-oriented board games over mobile idle RPGs. Local industry figures also stressed the importance of community-based games and market-specific strategies.
To build on this momentum, KOCCA announced the launch of a Saudi Arabia Business Center in Riyadh. The center will serve as a permanent cooperation hub, providing local market research, partner matchmaking, and joint production support.
“Saudi Arabia is the only nation in the Middle East with all four pillars of a thriving content industry—consumers, capital, government backing, and active industry players,” said Moon Byung-jun, Minister-Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Saudi Arabia.
The cultural appeal was on full display as a K-pop drama OST concert featuring Hwang Chi-yeul and Kim Ki-tae sold out instantly, with demand far exceeding ticket availability.
KOCCA plans to scale up the K-Content Expo to 200 participating companies next year, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, its 35 million-strong domestic market, and its ambitions to host the World Expo and FIFA World Cup—cementing its role as the region’s content hub.
Following Riyadh, the K-Content Expo will continue its global tour with stops in Shenzhen, China (August), Istanbul, Türkiye (September), and Warsaw, Poland (November).
The Saudi Arabia event demonstrated the Middle East’s emergence as a key partner in global content exchange and is likely to foster deeper cooperation between Korea, Saudi Arabia, and other regional nations.
