Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has officially established its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East LLC, in Riyadh, marking a significant milestone in the company’s global expansion strategy. The move makes CJ ENM the first Korean entertainment company to set up operations in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi establishment
The new entity coincides with CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary, which CEO Yoon Sang-hyun has declared the company’s “First Official Year of Global Expansion.” “Establishing a presence in Saudi Arabia allows us to actively engage in emerging global markets and strengthen our global competitiveness,” he added in a statement.
Positioning MENA as a strategic growth engine, CJ ENM plans to merge its renowned expertise in content creation, production, and distribution with the region’s cultural demand and booming entertainment infrastructure. The company aims to develop a range of projects spanning music, television, film, live entertainment, and scripted and unscripted content. Plans include audition programs built on CJ ENM’s Music Creative eco-System (MCS) and K-pop concerts leveraging its own and external IP.
“The MENA region, and Saudi Arabia in particular, presents unprecedented potential for cultural and commercial collaboration,” said Hyun Soo Kim, General Manager of CJ ENM Middle East LLC. “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.” The two companies, which signed a strategic partnership in December 2024, are developing joint initiatives to expand K-culture’s influence in the region.
As a regional anchor, CJ ENM Middle East LLC will coordinate closely with its Korean headquarters to expand pan-MENA collaborations, strengthen local networks, and reinforce the company’s position as a leader in premium content creation.
MENA expansion
CJ ENM has been steadily building its MENA presence in recent years, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The company signed an MOU with the Saudi Ministry of Culture in 2022 and partnered with Manga Productions in 2023 to co-produce and distribute content across animation, films, and webtoons.
It also brought its flagship event, KCON, to Saudi Arabia for two consecutive years and recently secured a major content deal with Shahid, the region’s largest Arabic-language streaming platform, to distribute 20 Korean series.