iQIYI expands MENA presence with MENA Branch launch and local partnership, elevating Chinese storytelling worldwide
BEIJING, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- iQIYI, China's leading online entertainment platform, has taken two major steps recently to deepen its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, signaling continued ambition in the overseas market. On May 11, the company signed a content partnership with Egypt's leading Arabic streaming platform WATCH IT. Three days after, it officially launched iQIYI MENA Branch in Dubai, marking a stronger operational foothold in the region.
Grounded in extensive market research, these moves are part of iQIYI's broader localization strategy, aimed at amplifying Chinese storytelling abroad while integrating more regional content into its global ecosystem. The company has identified MENA as a market with a long history and huge potential, driven by a rising demand for digital entertainment.
Under the new partnership, WATCH IT will stream a curated slate of iQIYI's premium Chinese-language films and shows — including top-rated series such as "Road Home" and "Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty" — through its established regional network. In return, iQIYI's main platform will feature WATCH IT's original humanities documentary series "Mother of the World," which draws upon archaeological evidence to showcase the development of ancient Egyptian civilization. iQIYI International will also introduce WATCH IT's select Arabic-language original content, enriching its overseas content ecosystem.
"WATCH IT is deeply rooted in the Egyptian and Middle Eastern markets, with robust production and distribution capabilities," said Zhaonan WANG, vice president and editor-in-chief of iQIYI. "Through this collaboration, we hope to better serve MENA audiences and use film and television as a bridge for cultural exchange."
With the new branch launched in Dubai, iQIYI continues to better serve local customers. With a content strategy tailored to local tastes, iQIYI has curated a dedicated MENA content library featuring Chinese-language dramas, movies, animation, and variety shows adapted to local customs. The platform endeavors to continue optimizing the playback experience for MENA's network environment and is in discussion with local telecom operators to extend viewing options. In addition to the WATCH IT partnership, iQIYI has also collaborated with evision, the media and entertainment arm of e&, since June 2014 to distribute over 20 popular Chinese dramas, animations, and movies to MENA viewers via evision's free streaming service STARZ ON.
Speaking in Dubai, Xianghua YANG, president of iQIYI's Movie & Overseas Business Group, noted the key support of ongoing collaborations with local partners in advancing the company's continued development in MENA. With the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as its core, iQIYI aims to gradually cover the Gulf region.
The launch of iQIYI MENA Branch in Dubai further strengthens the platform's global footprint, following the debut of its international website, iQ.com, and iQIYI International App in 2019, as well as the opening of its international headquarters in Singapore in 2020. Since then, the company has established four key operational regions — Southeast Asia, North America, Japan and South Korea, and MENA — as it strives to become the home for beloved Asian content for audiences worldwide. Today, iQIYI's content reaches audiences in over 190 countries and regions. iQIYI International currently supports user interface and subtitles in 12 languages, including English, Thai, Indonesian, Korean, Spanish, and Arabic.
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