Manga Productions signs content deal with Korea’s CJ ENM

Manga Productions, a subsidiary of the MiSK Foundation led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM. This partnership aims to co-produce and jointly distribute a wide range of content spanning the realms of animation, TV series, films, webtoons, and infrastructure, with the added goal of nurturing talent and human resources.

Manga Productions, known for its focus on the production and distribution of animations and games, has been steadily expanding its collaborative ventures in Asia. Notably, the company is co-producing films with Japanese animation studio Toei Animation, including Shizuno Kobun’s The Journey.

This collaboration between Manga Productions and CJ ENM builds upon an MoU signed by CJ with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture in June 2022, designed to strengthen cultural ties between the two nations. CJ ENM has demonstrated its commitment to this partnership by hosting KCON, a popular Korean pop-culture festival, in Saudi Arabia for the past two years.

Speaking about the deal, Dr Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions, said: “It would enable the two creative forces to merge and offer exceptional entertainment content to audiences worldwide. The partnership would be an essential opportunity to reach Korean audiences with rich Saudi content for the first time through CJ ENM and introduce Korean creative content to the Arab world.”

Koo Chang-gun, CEO of CJ ENM, added: “Through this partnership with Manga Productions, the leading content company of the Middle East, CJ ENM aims to accelerate its entry into the Middle Eastern market and spearhead the expansion of K-culture within the Middle East. By combining the expertise of both parties, we will produce content that appeals to a global audience and advance our cultural partnership with Saudi Arabia.”