Tomorrow, K-pop powerhouse Blackpink will become the first all-female music group to perform in Saudi Arabia. Their show, scheduled for Friday in Riyadh, sold out quickly when tickets were released, and was moved at the last minute to a larger venue to accommodate the thousands who initially missed out. Given the Saudi kingdom’s reactionary credentials, the idea of mixed-gender crowds partying to suggestive hits may seem unlikely. But while Blackpink’s performance is indeed novel, it reflects the long-standing relationship between South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

In 2022, the two countries celebrated sixty years of diplomatic relations. At first glance, they may not seem to have a great deal in common. But both were close allies of the United States in its fight against global communism, and their lucrative relationship blossomed during the Cold War. While many US client states were and remain banana republics, the diplomatic ties between South Korea and Saudi Arabia helped modernize both nations and put them on their current “middle power” paths. For more than half a century, Korean firms have built much of Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure, and Saudi oil has kept Korean hypercapitalism in business.

At the same time, monopolies and corruption have long dominated both economies, and there is a deepening unease among the countries’ ruling elites about internal instability and global uncertainty. This anxiety is what lies behind the recent multibillion-dollar trade deals between the two nations, and the increase in soft-diplomatic gestures. Former leaders have claimed the republic and the kingdom are like two dear friends setting off on a journey into the desert. Despite these saccharine claims, it’s not the bonds of friendship that bind these two countries but rather their shared interest in cheap energy, cheap labor, and cheap goods on the world market.