K-pop group BTS to perform in Saudi Arabia for the first time

K-pop boyband BTS will make their much-anticipated debut in Saudi Arabia on October 11 in Riyadh as part of their “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” world tour.

International pop sensation BTS – short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts – is one of the world’s most popular South Korean bands.

BTS’ total net worth stands between $45 million to $60 million. According to a 2018 report, they are worth more than $3.6 billion to South Korea’s economy every year – equivalent to the contribution of 26 mid-sized companies. The seven-member group was the first boyband from South Korea to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200.

Their most recent album, “Love Yourself: Answer,” was the bestselling album on South Korea’s Gaon Chart with over two million copies sold worldwide.

The concert will take place at the 68,000-seater King Fahd International Stadium. Tickets have not yet been released.

Fans shared their excitement on Twitter and congratulated the band for being the first international artists to hold a solo stadium concert in Saudi Arabia.

Bollywood film producer Tanuj Garg also tweeted that the show “could open doors to endless opportunities and possibilities” for entertainment in the Kingdom.

BTS has attracted rising fame in the Middle East in recent years.

The Dubai Stars, Dubai’s Walk of Fame which will include over 10,000 stars paying tribute to celebrities and eminent personalities, announced this month that the K-pop group will be included on the Walk of Fame after fans voted online to have them inducted. Other celebrities that will be given a star include Nancy Ajram, Salman Khan, and Zachary Levi.

In 2016, BTS performed a sold out show at Abu Dhabi’s first Korean cultural convention KCon 2016.