From fan to interviewing Hyun Bin: How Deema built the K-drama community she never had
Dubai: Deema Abu Naser was 11 when she started watching Korean dramas. For the next decade, she had almost nobody to talk to about them. "Throughout my whole life, I didn't have any friends that liked them, so it felt like a bit lonely growing up, because I didn't have anyone to share my thoughts with about the shows that I was watching," she says. "Other people would talk about shows like Gossip…
Deema Abu Naser, a Palestinian-Canadian born and raised in Dubai, discovered Korean dramas at the age of 11. For the next decade, she was the only one in her life who shared her passion for the genre. After moving to Toronto for university, Deema decided to create a blog about Korean dramas during her final year to connect with others who shared her interest.
The blog, named Deema Loves Drama, grew slowly at first, but once she returned to Dubai and began attending events, her audience expanded significantly. Now, she boasts one of the largest K-drama communities online, with a global audience in the hundreds of thousands.
The surge in K-drama popularity can be attributed to the introduction of the genre on streaming platforms like Netflix, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Deema believes that Arab audiences, in particular, resonate with K-dramas due to their slow burn pacing, emotional depth, and beautiful cinematography. She also attributes the genre's appeal to the traditional Korean family values and romantic storylines that many viewers find appealing.
As the K-drama scene continues to grow in the Gulf region, Deema has had the unique experience of witnessing the transformation firsthand, from the lack of K-drama events to now having in-person gatherings and streaming chart dominance.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
