iQIYI expands MENA presence with Dubai branch and Watch IT content deal

Broadcast Pro

3 days ago

iQIYI has developed a MENA-specific content library, offering Chinese-language dramas, films, animations and variety shows thoughtfully adapted to reflect local tastes and cultural preferences.
iQIYI, China's online entertainment platform, has made significant moves to expand its reach in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The company signed a content partnership with Egypt's Arabic streaming service, Watch IT. Just three days later, it launched its new MENA branch in Dubai, marking a stronger operational foothold in the region.
These developments are part of iQIYI's broader localisation strategy, which is based on extensive market research. The company aims to promote Chinese storytelling internationally while incorporating more regional content into its platform. Identifying MENA as a market rich in history and brimming with potential due to increasing demand for digital entertainment, iQIYI is tailoring its strategy to better connect with local audiences.
Through the partnership with Watch IT, the Egyptian platform will distribute a selection of iQIYI's premium Chinese-language films and series, including hit shows like Road Home and Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty. In exchange, iQIYI will stream Watch IT's original documentary Mother of the World, which explores the evolution of ancient Egyptian civilization through archaeological findings. In addition, iQIYI International will feature other select Arabic-language originals from Watch IT, expanding the diversity of its global content offerings.
Zhaonan WANG, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of iQIYI, said: 'Watch IT is deeply rooted in the Egyptian and Middle Eastern markets, with robust production and distribution capabilities. Through this collaboration, we hope to better serve MENA audiences and use film and television as a bridge for cultural exchange.'
The new branch in Dubai enhances iQIYI's capacity to serve MENA audiences more effectively. The platform now offers a curated MENA content library that includes Chinese-language dramas, movies, animation and variety shows localised to suit regional tastes. The company is also working to improve streaming performance in the region and is negotiating with local telecom providers to broaden access to its content.
In addition to its partnership with Watch IT, iQIYI has been collaborating with evision, the media and entertainment subsidiary of e&, since 2014. This partnership allows over 20 popular Chinese titles to be streamed across the MENA region through evision's Starz ON free streaming service.
Speaking at the Dubai launch, 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 Dubai branch adds to iQIYI's growing international infrastructure, which began with the launch of iQ.com and the iQIYI International App in 2019, followed by the opening of its international headquarters in Singapore in 2020. The company now operates in four major global regions — Southeast Asia, North America, Japan and South Korea and MENA — as it continues its mission to become the go-to platform for Asian content worldwide. iQIYI's global reach now spans more than 190 countries and regions, with its international service supporting 12 languages, including English, Arabic, Korean, Spanish and Thai.