Local fans react at a K-pop concert held in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on June 9, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korea-Arab Society.
SEOUL, June 12 (Korea Bizwire) — In a bid to foster cultural exchanges and introduce Korean arts to the local communities, a series of captivating “hallyu” (Korean wave) cultural events unfolded in the heart of the Middle East, specifically the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Oman, in collaboration with the Korea-Arab Society, on Friday orchestrated a scintillating K-pop concert, captivating the collective imagination of the locale.
Held at the Oman Convention Center in Muscat, the concert enthralled an audience of approximately 1,500 locals, who erupted with a roar of applause as the K-pop idol group B.I.G. took to the stage.
Local media outlets, including the Times of Oman, lauded the concert as an invaluable opportunity for an intermingling of Korean and Arabic contemporary music.
The Korea-Arab Society, a distinguished public-private non-profit foundation established in 2008, stands as a steadfast beacon in fostering economic, cultural, academic, and people-to-people exchanges between these two regions.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Korean Cultural Center in the UAE showcased the 7th Korean Film Festival at Vox Cinema in Abu Dhabi, an event that extends its cinematic allure until Sunday under the theme of “Companionship.”
Eight exceptional Korean films, such as the riveting “Hunt” and the captivating “Night Owl,” graced the festival as the opening pieces.
An official from the Korean Cultural Center expressed the hope that this annual festival would fortify cultural exchanges between South Korea and the UAE, amplifying the profound partnership that exists between the two nations.
Hallyu fans pose for a photo during the Korean Film Festival at Vox Cinema in Abu Dhabi on June 10, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korean Cultural Center in the UAE.
In light of the burgeoning interest in K-content and tourism by Middle Eastern governments, a mosaic of cultural collaborations has unfurled.
The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) announced on Thursday that a partnership had been forged with the Mohammed bin Rashid (MBR) Library in the UAE, dedicated to promoting the bilateral content industry.
As part of this collaboration, KOCCA generously donated a collection of books related to K-content to enrich the library’s offerings.
Situated in Dubai, the MBR Library proudly boasts the status of the largest public library in the Middle East, housing a staggering collection of over 1.1 million books and media materials, including specialized collections.
With its sprawling 54,000-square-meter facility, the library can comfortably accommodate approximately 1,000 visitors at any given time.
Equipped with a 500-seat theater and a sophisticated cultural space that ingeniously employs artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), holograms, and smart robots, the library stands as an emblematic landmark in Dubai.
Since the state visit to the UAE in January, KOCCA has fervently championed this partnership with MBR Library, nurturing the content industries of both South Korea and the UAE in a mutually beneficial direction.
An official from KOCCA elucidated, emphasizing the significance of this book donation.
“By laying the environmental foundation for content users in the Middle East to effortlessly access information pertaining to K-content and K-culture, which have recently emerged as pivotal vehicles in the proliferation of the Korean Wave, we aspire to bolster the spread of hallyu,” the official said.
In recent years, the allure of K-pop has gained tremendous traction in the Middle East.
The Korea Foundation for International Exchange revealed that as of December 2021, a staggering 156.6 million hallyu enthusiasts resided in the MENA region, more than 100 times more than just a decade ago.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
