South Korean entertainment company CJ ENM and MBC GROUP have signed a long-term strategic partnership to expand Korean content across MENA, building on their existing relationship and extending collaboration across streaming and linear television to unlock new growth opportunities.
TVING on SHAHID
Under the agreement, its Arabic-language streaming platform MBC SHAHID will introduce a dedicated TVING hub featuring Korean content from CJ ENM, TVING and South Korean production studios.
More than 13 new titles are scheduled for release in 2026, alongside more than 20 titles from CJ ENM’s existing content library, with the volume of available titles set to increase over the course of the partnership. Among the announced series are ‘My Bias, My Boss,’ ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’, ‘Filing for Love,’ ‘The Judge Returns, and ‘Our Universe.’
Selected titles will feature Arabic dubbing and subtitles, while new releases will be available through simulcast alongside their Korean premieres.
TV distribution expansion
The partnership will also bring CJ ENM programming to MBC4 on an exclusive basis for a specified period, with broadcast schedules to be announced.
Sebastian Kim, Vice President and Head of Content Distribution Business Unit at CJ ENM, said the agreement builds on the companies’ 2025 content supply arrangement and highlights the growing demand for Korean content in the Middle East.
Tareq Alibrahim, Director of MBC1, MBC DRAMA and MBC SHAHID Content, said its partnership with CJ ENM combines their regional and global strengths to unlock long-term opportunities across content, streaming and entertainment. “The launch of a dedicated TVING space on MBC SHAHID, together with Korean content across our television channels, strengthens the breadth and quality of entertainment we can offer Arab audiences. It also reflects our broader strategy of building partnerships with leading international media companies and strengthening MBC GROUP’s position as a gateway between global content and audiences across the region.”
Previous regional partnerships
The newly announced agreement builds on CJ ENM’s growing presence in the region, following an MOU with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture in 2022, a content co-production and distribution agreement with Manga Productions in 2023, and a strategic partnership with entertainment company Sela in 2024.
The behemoth also hosted its K-pop festival KCON in Saudi Arabia in 2022 and 2023 and secured a deal to bring 20 Korean series to SHAHID.
In 2025, CJ ENM further strengthened its regional footprint by establishing CJ ENM Middle East LLC in Riyadh, becoming the first Korean entertainment company to set up a subsidiary in the Kingdom.
