CJ ENM establishes Saudi Arabia base, accelerating K-culture push

CJ ENM has established a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia, underscoring its commitment to expanding K-culture in the region, the leading Korean entertainment company said Wednesday.

The company said it recently set up its wholly-owned subsidiary CJ ENM Middle East in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, making it the first Korean entertainment company to do so in the Middle East.

"This move is a significant step in the company’s declaration of 2025 — CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary year — as the ‘First Official Year of Global Expansion,’” Yoon Sang-hyun, CEO of CJ ENM said in a statement. "Establishing a presence in Saudi Arabia allows us to engage in emerging global markets and strengthen our global competitiveness.”

Positioning the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as a strategic growth engine, CJ ENM will integrate its expertise in content creation, production and distribution to fully leverage the region’s expanding entertainment infrastructure and culture market.

Through this subsidiary, CJ ENM also plans to pursue collaborations across music, television, film and live entertainment. This includes developing audition programs based on its Music Creative eco-System (MCS) and artist discovery initiatives with local studios. In live entertainment, CJ ENM aims to host K-pop concerts using its own and external intellectual property.

“The MENA region, particularly Saudi Arabia, presents significant potential for cultural and commercial collaboration,” Kim Hyun-soo, general manager of CJ ENM Middle East, said.

“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 cultural business development, CJ ENM and Sela have been discussing joint initiatives. Leveraging Sela’s expertise in large-scale events, CJ ENM’s Saudi subsidiary will broaden its collaboration with local stakeholders for wide-ranging synergies.

CJ ENM has consistently built ties within the MENA region. In 2022, the company signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture. This was followed by a 2023 memorandum of understanding with Manga Productions, a Saudi Arabian content company, for co-production and distribution across animation, TV, film, webtoon and media infrastructure.

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

With over 62 percent of its population under the age of 30, Saudi Arabia represents a dynamic consumer base with strong demand for K-content across entertainment, live performance, gaming and sports. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is expanding its entertainment industry as a strategic driver for economic and cultural growth under its national roadmap, Vision 2030.