CJ ENM Establishes Subsidiary in Saudi Arabia to Accelerate Global Expansion in the Middle East
Leading entertainment company CJ ENM announced today the official establishment of its wholly-owned subsidiary, CJ ENM Middle East LLC, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The company now becomes the first Korean entertainment company to establish a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia.
“This move marks a significant step in the company’s declaration of 2025—CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary year—as the ‘First Official Year of Global Expansion’,” said Yoon Sang-hyun, CEO of CJ ENM. “Establishing a presence in Saudi Arabia allows us to actively 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 signature expertise in content creation, production, and distribution with the region’s rapidly expanding entertainment infrastructure and cultural demand.
Through this subsidiary, the company 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 MCS (Music Creative eco-System) and artist discovery initiatives in partnership with local studios. In the live entertainment sector, CJ ENM plans to host K-pop concerts leveraging both 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.”
Since signing a strategic partnership in December 2024 to foster the development of the cultural business landscape, CJ ENM and Sela have been in ongoing discussions 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 for wide-ranging synergies.
CJ ENM has long been building ties with the MENA region. The company signed MOU 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 has also successfully hosted KCON, the World’s largest K-POP Fan & Artist Festival, in Saudi Arabia for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. Recently, 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.
With over 62% of its population under the age of 30, Saudi Arabia represents a dynamic consumer base that shows strong demand for K-content across entertainment, live performance, gaming, and sports. In addition, Saudi Arabia is expanding its entertainment industry as a strategic engine for economic and cultural growth under its national roadmap Vision 2030.
CJ ENM Middle East LLC 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.