COEX Launches First K-Premium Products Fair in Dubai, Connecting 50 Korean SMEs with GCC Buyers
Dubai(Web Desk):: COEX has launched the inaugural “2026 K-Premium Products Fair in Dubai”, bringing 50 promising Korean consumer-goods companies together with buyers and distributors from across the Gulf region to explore export and business opportunities in the Middle Eastern market.
Held from September 29 to October 1 at InterContinental Dubai Festival City, the three-day event is designed to support Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in entering the Middle Eastern market and expanding their international export channels.
H.E. Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the UAE, attended the event and delivered the keynote address. Lee Won-ik, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the UAE, and Jonghoon Han, Director of COEX, were also present.
COEX President Jo Sang Hyeon said the Dubai fair marks an important milestone as the organisation’s first event in the Middle East and a platform for Korean SMEs to directly engage with regional buyers and assess their market potential.
The fair features 50 Korean companies across a wide range of consumer-product categories, including beauty and fashion, living and interior products, food and beverages, and other consumer goods.
A key component of the event is its one-on-one export consultation programme, connecting Korean companies with distributors and purchasing representatives from major retail networks in the GCC, particularly in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
COEX has utilised its global buyer network and local agents to identify potential buyers in advance and match them with participating companies according to their product portfolios and export requirements. The organisation is also providing consultation and export support to help Korean brands access local distribution networks.
In addition to business consultations, the fair includes an offline local showcase and an online sales programme, allowing participating brands to introduce their products directly to consumers in the UAE market. The products are being showcased at major retail facilities in Dubai before and after the main event.
Following the fair, COEX will support cross-border trade (CBT) online sales for approximately two months, enabling participating companies to gauge consumer interest and evaluate their market potential in the region.
The event brings together businesses and buyers from the six GCC countries — the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — creating opportunities for Korean companies to establish commercial relationships across the Gulf.
The Dubai fair represents COEX’s first exhibition in the Middle East as the organisation expands its overseas operations following activities in Vietnam and Indonesia.
COEX said it plans to use the Dubai event as a stepping stone for further expansion across the GCC and wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, drawing on its experience in consumer-goods exhibitions, international buyer networks and export-support programmes.
