BTS are taking an 'extended break': Will they still appear in Saudi in October?

This is the first time the seven-member group will take a break since their debut on to the music scene in 2013

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  BTS through the years: the K-pop band at the Korean Culture Convention (K-Con), held at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on August 10, 2014. AFP

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  Members of BTS arrive on the red carpet for K-Con 2014. AFP

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  BTS on the red carpet for the Asia Artist Awards in Seoul on November 16, 2016. AFP

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  Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and JungKook of BTS at Music Choice in New York City on March 22, 2017. Getty

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  BTS perform Fake Love at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. AP

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  BTS accept the Top Social Artist award at the Billboard Music Awards on May 20, 2018. Reuters

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  BTS attend the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2018. AP

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  BTS perform during a Korean cultural event in Paris as part of the South Korean president's official visit to France on October 14, 2018. AFP

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  BTS on the red carpet at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong on December 14, 2018. AP

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  BTS at the Seoul Music Awards on January 15, 2019. Getty

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  BTS present the award for Best R&B Album during the 61st Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. AFP

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  BTS perform on Saturday Night Live on April 11, 2019. Getty

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  BTS before rehearsals for KBS 2TV's Music Bank in Yeouido, Seoul, on April 19, 2019. Getty

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  BTS perform at concert to promote 18th Fina World Championships at a stadium in Gwangju, South Korea on April 28, 2019. EPA

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  BTS and Halsey performing Boy With Luv at the Billboard Music Awards on May 1, 2019. Reuters

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  BTS attend Youth Day at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul on September 19, 2020. Reuters

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  BTS present a purple gift box to President Moon Jae-in during the inaugural Youth Day event in Seoul on September 19, 2020. EPA

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  BTS on the red carpet during the annual Mama Awards at Nagoya Dome in Nagoya, Japan, on December 4, 2019. Reuters

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  BTS at the 34st annual Golden Disk Awards ceremony in Seoul on January 4, 2020. EPA

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  BTS arrive at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on January 26, 2020. AP

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  BTS visit the Today Show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on February 21, 2020. AFP

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  BTS give an address as part of the YouTube Originals Dear Class of 2020 speeches. YouTube Originals

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  BTS performing as part of the YouTube Originals Dear Class of 2020 speeches. YouTube Originals

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  BTS perform 'Dynamite' during the MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2020. Reuters

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  BTS accept the award for Best Pop Video for 'On' during the MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2020. AP

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  BTS arrives to security check-in at the United Nations headquarters during the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 20, 2021. AFP

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  V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin and J-Hope of BTS arrive at the 2021 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 21, 2021. Reuters

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  BTS accepts the award for artist of the year at the American Music Awards in 2021 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. AP

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  Jin, Suga, V, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope of BTS hold their award for the Favourite Pop Song, Favourite Duo or Group and Artist of the Year awards during the 2021 American Music Awards. Reuters

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  BTS pose on red carpet of iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert in California on December 3, 2021. Reuters

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  BTS perform at Jamsil Olympic Park in southern Seoul, South Korea on March 10, 2022. EPA

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  BTS pose on red carpet of 64th Annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 3, 2022. Reuters

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  BTS perform Butter during 64th Annual Grammy Awards show in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 3, 2022. Reuters

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  BTS Permission to Dance concert in Las Vegas on April 10, 2022. Photo: Big Hit Music

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  Members of BTS join Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, centre, during a news conference at the White House in Washington DC on May 31, 2022. Photo: Oliver Contreras / Sipa / Bloomberg

K-pop superstars BTS will be taking an “extended break” from the music scene, their agency Big Hit Entertainment said in a statement released on Sunday.

Their agency said the seven members would be undergoing a period of “rest and relaxation" and that the break would "provide them with a chance to enjoy the ordinary lives of young people in their 20s, albeit briefly".

This is the group’s first break since their debut in 2013. It’s not clear how long the break will last, but the group is currently in the middle of a world tour.

Their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself world tour kicked off in Seoul in August 2018 and included stops in the US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France and Japan.

The last stop on their tour was Shizuoka, Japan, on Sunday, July 14, and they are scheduled to be performing in Riyadh on Friday, October 11. When the Saudi concert was announced, fans in the UAE got their hopes up for an appearance in the Emirates, taking to social media to tweet a simple message: #wewantBTSinUAE.

After all, it had been a while since the band were last year; BTS previously performed in the UAE as part of KCON in Abu Dhabi in 2016.

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BTS are one of the world's biggest boy bands, and boasts a huge and devoted fanbase. They've had a massively successful run the last couple of years. The seven-member band made history as the first Korean group to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart – not once, but three times.

They've also landed on Time 100's list of most influential people of 2019, had Mattel dolls created in their likeness and were offered a Recording Academy membership invite to help choose Grammy Award winners. They've also been given a star on the Dubai Walk of Fame.

The group first formed in Seoul in 2013 and broke into the US pop market in 2017, becoming the first Korean group to win a Billboard music award. They’ve collaborated with the likes of Steve Aoki, Halsey and Nicki Minaj.

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Read more:

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Dubai Walk of Fame: everyone who has been awarded a Dubai Star so far

BTS fans want the K-pop group to come to the UAE – but will they?

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