Viewers across the Middle East and North Africa will get a dedicated TVING space on MBC SHAHID under a long-term partnership between MBC GROUP and South Korea’s CJ ENM.
In their announcement at MIPCOM Cannes on 13 October, the companies outlined plans for Korean originals, library titles, and selected Arabic-language options across streaming and television.
The agreement includes more than 13 new titles scheduled for release during 2026, alongside more than 20 titles from CJ ENM’s existing library. The companies say the catalogue will grow during the partnership, but they haven’t specified a launch date for the branded space or which Shahid subscription will include it.
Korean releases alongside their home market
According to the joint announcement, all new titles covered by the partnership will simulcast on the Shahid app, letting audiences across MENA watch them alongside their release in Korea. That promise applies to the agreement’s new titles, rather than every programme available on TVING.
The named lineup includes the recently premiered romantic comedy My Bias, My Boss, as well as The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, Filing for Love, The Judge Returns, and Our Universe. The announcement doesn’t give individual Shahid release dates for those shows or identify which titles will arrive first in the dedicated space.
For viewers following a series week by week, the simulcast commitment is the clearest practical change: these new releases are intended to arrive alongside the Korean rollout, rather than as a later library addition. The companies haven’t published an episode timetable, so the announcement doesn’t establish exact viewing times in the UAE.
Arabic dubbing and subtitles will be available for selected content. The release doesn’t map those language options to individual shows, and it doesn’t promise Arabic dubbing across the full catalogue. Those details will determine which programmes viewers can watch dubbed and which offer subtitles.
MBC4 will also carry CJ ENM titles
The deal extends beyond the streaming app. CJ ENM titles will appear exclusively on MBC4 for a specified period, although the announcement doesn’t disclose that period’s length. MBC will announce the television schedule later.
That gives the partnership two distribution routes: a branded destination within Shahid and scheduled broadcasts on MBC4. It doesn’t establish that the complete streaming lineup will also appear on the television channel, or that TV broadcasts will follow the same simulcast timetable.
The companies describe this as an expansion of an existing relationship, with scope for further cooperation across media, entertainment, and production. No specific joint production was announced. For now, the concrete commitments concern content distribution, with the channel schedule and streaming rollout still to come.
Frequently asked questions
Do viewers need a separate TVING app?
The announced destination sits inside MBC SHAHID. This agreement doesn’t announce a separate TVING app launch for MENA.
Has MBC announced a UAE price for the new space?
No. The release doesn’t specify UAE pricing, an extra charge, or the subscription tier needed to access the TVING space. Viewers should check the rollout details before changing their subscription.
