Türkiye’s Consul General in Dubai, Selçuk Özcan, highlighted the global success of Turkish television exports and the growing potential for cooperation with the MENA media and entertainment industry during his speech at DICM 2026.
Türkiye’s growing influence in the global television industry and its opportunities for further expansion across the Middle East and North Africa were at the centre of a speech delivered by Selçuk Özcan, Consul General of Türkiye in Dubai, at Dubai International Content Market (DICM) 2026.
Turkish TV Series Reach Audiences in More Than 170 Countries
Highlighting Türkiye’s position among the world’s leading television content exporters, Özcan noted that the country ranks among the top three exporters of television series globally. Turkish series and formats are now broadcast in more than 170 countries, reaching an estimated audience of approximately one billion people worldwide.
He emphasized that this international success goes beyond economic achievements, describing Turkish content as an important instrument of cultural connection and mutual understanding. Özcan also underlined the industry’s export ambitions, stating that Türkiye aims to reach $1 billion in television content exports by the end of 2026.
MENA Media Market Opens New Opportunities for Türkiye
Turning to the MENA region, Özcan drew attention to the growing opportunities within its media and entertainment market. The region’s total industry revenue is projected to reach approximately $18 billion by 2028, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates expected to account for 66% of the total.
He particularly highlighted Dubai’s role as a regional media hub, pointing to specialized business clusters such as Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Production City. These facilities offer international production companies and media organizations an established ecosystem for production, distribution and collaboration.
According to Özcan, this infrastructure creates significant opportunities to strengthen cooperation between Türkiye and the MENA region in content production and the wider creative industries. The established popularity of Turkish television series across the region, he added, provides a strong foundation for developing new partnerships.
Concluding his remarks, Özcan encouraged industry stakeholders to explore the opportunities available in both markets and work together to build stronger international partnerships. He also thanked the event’s organizer, Mr Almadani, and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce for their contributions and support in organizing the event.
