[caption id="attachment_487493" align="aligncenter" width="475" caption="Image Credit: Oliver Clarke/Gulf News"][/caption]

The popularity of K-pop is growing in the Middle East.

On April 22nd, Seven members of boy group ZE:A held a fan meeting in Dubai, UAE. Thousands of fans arrived for a chance to receive autographs from ZE:A. Shortly after the fan meeting, the boys also held a special showcase in nearby Abu Dhabi. At this showcase, member Heechul received attention for stating that he loves Arab girls because they're so beautiful. This was the second time a K-Pop star visited the region as Nine Muses and Korean pop star Seo In Young performed in Abu Dhabi last year.

Arabian news agency Gulf News recently attended the fan meeting / showcase and wrote an article titled "ZE:A at the top of the pops". You can read the article here and some excerpts below.

Fainting fans, delirious teenagers and hundreds of screaming girls. You'd think a major pop star was in town in Dubai on Friday. But to the young fans, who turned up from all over the UAE and assembled at the Boracay Club in Asiana Hotel three hours ahead of their scheduled appearance, ZE:A (pronounced je-a), are as big as they come.
Only seven of the nine-member Korean boy band may have turned up, but it didn't stop the fans, mostly girls, a lot of them Emiratis, to tirelessly chant their names holding posters and messages. As the excitement built, organisers, who weren't quite prepared for the massive attendance, had to extend the fan meeting time from an hour to two to accommodate everyone.

And when the boys eventually appeared, the screams that echoed through the venue could only be termed 'deafening'... The ZE:A boys patiently went through each one of them, greeting them with a smile as fan after fan lined up, many hardly able to contain their excitement.

Aisha Rashid, a 15-year-old Emirati, was almost in tears. "I'm here 'cause I love ZE:A so much, with all my heart," she just about managed to mumble.
Jeyun and Hejun, sisters from Korea, screamed in unison: "We're such big fans and we love K-pop and ZE:A. They're so hot, they're so good-looking."
Eliza, from the Philippines, caught in a delirious hop, just about managed a screeching "I love y…" before being whisked to the side to make way for other fans.
Sisters Wafa and Marwa Hassa, Sharjah residents from Yemen, took the opportunity to show off their knowledge of Korean: "Kamsamnida [thank you]," they screamed, waving their autographed posters.

For organiser Eman Al Alawi, the founder of UAE Loves Korea, the success of the event was a testament to all the hard work her non-profit organisation has put in ever since she founded it in 2009.

Born after a trip to South Korea, Eman has since organised a number of events to introduce Korean culture to the UAE. Her projects also include sending 16 Emirati students every summer to Korea for a one-month induction into the Korean culture... "People here love Korean culture and K-pop is a global phenomenon, so we wanted to explore that," Eman added. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time and finally found a partner...

There's something about Korean pop stars that makes them so irresistibly appealing to an entertainment journalist, quite battered by and disillusioned with celebrities and their fragile egos. I found the answer when I sat down for an interview with rising Korean boy band ZE:A... "We appreciate the love so much and definitely want to come back to see Dubai and perform for all our fans," said Kevin. "…And we want to meet lots of beautiful Arab girls," added HeeChul mischievously.