CJ ENM establishes first Korean entertainment subsidiary in Saudi Arabia

Entertainment conglomerate taps Middle East and North Africa as a new growth engine

KCON held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October, 2023 (CJ ENM)

CJ ENM, a leading South Korean entertainment company, announced Wednesday the launch of its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — becoming the first Korean entertainment firm to set up a branch in the country.

CJ ENM said it is positioning the Middle East and North Africa region as a strategic growth engine, aiming to integrate its expertise in content creation, production and distribution with the region’s rapidly expanding entertainment infrastructure and cultural demand.

Through this subsidiary, CJ ENM said it plans to pursue wide-ranging business collaborations across music, television, film, live entertainment and both scripted and unscripted content. This includes the development of audition programs based on CJ ENM’s artist discovery initiatives in partnership with local studios.

“The MENA region, and Saudi Arabia in particular, presents unprecedented potential for cultural and commercial collaboration,” said Kim Hyun-soo, general manager of CJ ENM Middle East, via a press release. “To build strong local networks and ensure stable operations, we are partnering with Sela — Saudi Arabia’s leading live events and experiences company — to expand the influence of K-culture.”

Since signing a strategic partnership in December 2024 to foster the development of the cultural business landscape, the company said it has been holding ongoing discussions with Sela to develop joint initiatives. Leveraging Sela’s expertise in large-scale sports, music and cultural events, CJ ENM’s Saudi subsidiary will broaden collaboration with local stakeholders.

CJ ENM’s establishment of CJ ENM Middle East comes as the company aims to build ties with the MENA region. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture in 2022, followed by a 2023 MOU with Manga Productions, a Saudi Arabian content company, to co-produce and distribute content across animation, TV series, films, webtoons and media infrastructure. CJ ENM also hosted KCON, the World’s largest K-pop festival, in Saudi Arabia for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023.

In June, CJ ENM inked a major content deal with Shahid, the Middle East and North Africa region’s largest Arabic-language streaming platform, to bring 20 high-quality Korean series to a broader MENA audience.

According to CJ ENM, with over 62 percent of its population under the age of 30, Saudi Arabia represents a dynamic consumer base that shows strong demand for Korean content across entertainment, live performances, gaming and sports.

"CJ ENM Middle East will serve as a regional anchor, coordinating with its Korean headquarters to accelerate pan-MENA collaboration. By combining its regional networks and production expertise, CJ ENM aims to broaden its global reach and solidify its position in premium content creation," said an official from CJ ENM via a press release.