BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Pop culture is becoming an increasingly visible part of Abu Dhabi’s cultural scene, drawing tens of thousands of fans while creating new opportunities for artists, creators and independent businesses.
Events like the ongoing Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC) are expanding how the emirate’s cultural identity is expressed, said MEFCC Show Director Loy Pinheiro.
“What moves me most is seeing Emirati and expat creators alike developing distinctive voices that blend heritage with contemporary pop culture in fascinating ways,” he told Aletihad.
Pinheiro attributed Abu Dhabi’s growing prominence in the sector to a combination of long-term planning, investment and infrastructure. He pointed to the emirate’s investment in museums, performing arts, music, gaming, media and other creative sectors, alongside the development of venues such as ADNEC Centre.
Between 2022 and 2025, Abu Dhabi’s cultural and creative industries also recorded a 13.4% increase in creative businesses and a 14.2% rise in employment, while cultural exports grew by more than 120%, Pinheiro added.
“Abu Dhabi offers something unique: a diverse, international community with significant purchasing power and genuine passion for pop culture, combined with world-class infrastructure and government support,” he said.
The emirate’s diverse population also gives pop culture a particular social role.
With more than 200 nationalities living in the UAE, Pinheiro said shared interests in characters and franchises — such as Spider-Man, Batman, Star Wars, One Piece and Final Fantasy — can create common ground for people from very different backgrounds.
The Growth of Comic Con
Since MEFCC launched in Abu Dhabi, attendance has grown from about 21,000 in 2022 to more than 46,000 in 2025, marking an annual growth of roughly 21%, more than doubling over four years, according to Pinheiro.
This year's edition, which runs until September 13 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, brings together more than 500 brands and exhibitors, over 300 artists from 30 countries, three entertainment stages, and four fan competitions.
Pinheiro traced the shift back over more than a decade. "The evolution has been extraordinary, back in 2012 there was already a passionate community interested in comics, film, anime and gaming, but there was no major platform where those fans could gather physically and celebrate those interests together," he said.
Fans here are not just consumers anymore, he added, they became creators, critics, collectors, and cultural contributors.
Cosplay and artwork emerging from the region now compares with work seen internationally, he added.
Pinheiro said anime and manga have driven much of that growth, with Japanese pop culture approaching "critical mass" in the Middle East. Over the past five years, MEFCC has hosted Japanese voice actors tied to franchises including One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia.
Gaming and esports have followed a similar trajectory into the mainstream, while trading card games have become a notable part of the fan economy, fuelled by franchises such as Pokémon TCG, One Piece TCG, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Riftbound, Grand Archive and Star Wars: Unlimited.
The momentum is also feeding Abu Dhabi's wider creative economy. MEFCC's Artist Alley now gives hundreds of artists a platform to sell their work, while cosplay, filmmaking, student art and card-game competitions offer further routes for emerging talent — from collectible retailers to custom merchandise makers using the event to reach new customers.
The crossover with fashion has become especially visible through cosplay, as some creators blend regional craftsmanship with futuristic or fictional aesthetics.
Pinheiro said MEFCC has become a cultural tourism driver for Abu Dhabi, illustrating how pop culture increasingly intersects with tourism, retail, hospitality and the creative sector rather than existing as a standalone entertainment category.
Bringing globally recognised entertainment figures to Abu Dhabi also contributes to how the emirate is perceived internationally by fans, creators and industry partners, he added.
Even so, Pinheiro stressed that local participation remains central to the event's growth, with UAE-based artists, cosplayers, musicians, filmmakers, gamers and independent businesses playing an increasingly prominent role.