MBC and CJ ENM launch Tving hub on Shahid for K-dramas

Korean dramas are getting a dedicated front door in the Middle East and North Africa.

MBC Group and South Korea's CJ ENM have signed a long-term strategic partnership to expand premium Korean entertainment across MENA, meaning the Middle East and North Africa. The deal was announced at Mipcom in Cannes, the international television market, as reported by Variety on 13 October 2026.

At the centre is a dedicated Tving space on Shahid. Tving is the South Korean streaming service backed by CJ ENM and JTBC, known for local dramas, originals and reality shows. Shahid is MBC's streaming platform and the region's largest Arabic-language streaming platform.

The new space will carry premium K-content from CJ ENM, Tving and South Korean production studios. That is a wide net. It covers brand-new releases alongside shows from CJ ENM's back catalogue.

The numbers are specific. More than 13 new titles are scheduled for release in 2026 under the partnership, alongside more than 20 titles from CJ ENM's library. All of the new titles are scheduled for simulcast on the Shahid app, meaning they stream on Shahid at the same time as their home release.

Language is part of the plan. Selected titles will get Arabic dubbing and subtitles, opening the shows to viewers who prefer to watch in Arabic.

The deal is not streaming-only. It includes exposure on MBC4 exclusively. MBC4 is a linear channel, meaning a traditional TV channel with a fixed daily schedule, giving the Korean titles a slot on broadcast television as well as on demand.

Four starters are already named. They are My Bias My Boss, The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, Filing for Love and Our Universe.

For fans, this means less hunting. New Korean series land in one branded space, in Arabic where offered, on phone and TV at once.