CJ ENM Launches Saudi Subsidiary to Boost K-Culture Expansion in Middle East

CJ ENM, South Korea’s leading entertainment company, has officially established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, underscoring its commitment to expanding K-culture in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This marks the first time a Korean entertainment firm has set up a dedicated base in the Middle East.

The new entity, CJ ENM Middle East, was announced on Wednesday as part of the company’s broader global expansion strategy aligned with its 30th anniversary in 2025, which CJ ENM has designated as the “First Official Year of Global Expansion.” CEO Yoon Sang-hyun emphasized that establishing a presence in Saudi Arabia enables the company to engage emerging global markets and enhance its international competitiveness.

CJ ENM plans to integrate its expertise in content creation, production, and distribution to capitalize on the region’s expanding entertainment infrastructure and cultural market. The subsidiary will pursue diverse collaborations across music, television, film, and live entertainment sectors.

A key initiative includes developing audition programs rooted in CJ ENM’s Music Creative eco-System (MCS) and artist discovery projects in partnership with local studios. In live entertainment, the company aims to host K-pop concerts utilizing both its own and external intellectual property.

Kim Hyun-soo, general manager of CJ ENM Middle East, highlighted the significant potential for cultural and commercial collaboration in Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA region. To build strong local networks and ensure stable operations, CJ ENM Middle East is partnering with Sela, Saudi Arabia’s leading live events and experiences company, to amplify the influence of K-culture.

Since signing a strategic partnership in December 2024, CJ ENM and Sela have been exploring joint initiatives. Leveraging Sela’s expertise in large-scale events, the Saudi subsidiary will expand collaborations with local stakeholders to generate wide-ranging synergies.

CJ ENM’s engagement with the MENA region dates back several years. In 2022, it signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture, followed by a 2023 memorandum of understanding with Manga Productions, a Saudi content company, to co-produce and distribute animation, television, film, webtoon, and media infrastructure projects.

The company has also successfully hosted KCON, the world’s largest K-pop fan and artist festival, in Saudi Arabia in both 2022 and 2023. Recently, CJ ENM secured a major content distribution deal with Shahid, the MENA region’s largest Arabic-language streaming platform, to deliver 20 Korean series to a wider audience.

Saudi Arabia’s demographic profile, with over 62 percent of its population under the age of 30, represents a dynamic consumer base with strong demand for Korean content across entertainment, live performance, gaming, and sports sectors. Additionally, the Saudi government is actively expanding its entertainment industry as a strategic driver for economic and cultural growth under its Vision 2030 national roadmap.

CJ ENM’s establishment of a Saudi subsidiary signals a significant milestone in the globalization of Korean entertainment, positioning the company to capitalize on the burgeoning cultural market in the Middle East and foster deeper cross-cultural exchanges.