CJ chief steps up Middle East push on UAE visit

CJ Group Chair Lee Jay-hyun visited the United Arab Emirates earlier this month to meet local government officials and business leaders, as the Korean food and entertainment giant seeks to expand its footprint in the Middle East, the group said Wednesday.

The trip marked Lee’s first visit to the region in about a year and capped a global tour that included Japan, the United States and Europe. He was accompanied by Vice Chair Miky Lee, CJ Corp. CEO Kim Hong-ki, CJ ENM CEO Yoon Sang-hyun and Lee’s eldest son Lee Sun-ho, who heads CJ Corp.’s future planning office.

During the visit, Lee met Khaldoon Khalifa al Mubarak, chair of Abu Dhabi’s Executive Affairs Authority and CEO of sovereign wealth fund Mubadala. Al Mubarak played a key role in deepening ties at the Korea-UAE summit in November, and the two had previously met in the United Kingdom in September.

Lee also held talks with Mohamed al Mubarak, chair of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, and Abdullah al Hamed, chair of the UAE National Media Office, to explore collaboration across media, content, tourism and sports. CJ plans to work with government bodies and local media firms to expand K-pop events such as KCON and support content production, investment and infrastructure development in the region.

In the food business, Lee met CJ CheilJedang Chief Executive Gregory Yep and local executives to discuss expanding halal food offerings, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia positioned as regional hubs. CJ said it aims to broaden its Middle Eastern presence by tailoring products and supply chains to local demand.

“We must not miss the momentum of the Korean wave in the high-potential Middle Eastern market and create new growth engines,” Lee said.

“Expanding into new territories is essential for becoming a global company that leads lifestyles worldwide.”

The visit follows a series of partnerships announced around the Korea-UAE summit in November. CJ CheilJedang signed an agreement with Al Khayyat Investments to expand the distribution of halal-certified Bibigo products, including seaweed snacks and stir-fried noodles, across key retail channels.

CJ Olive Young partnered with Life Healthcare Group, which operates more than 500 pharmacies and an online platform, to support the market entry and sales growth of K-beauty brands. CJ ENM also seeks to scale up its entertainment business through partnerships with regional broadcasters and content producers, building on its Middle East subsidiary in Saudi Arabia.

Separately, Lee met UAE Culture Minister Salem bin Khalid al Qassimi and UAE Ambassador to South Korea Abdulla Saif al Nuaimi in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in content production, artificial intelligence and K-beauty exports.

"Chairman Lee has stressed securing long-term global growth engines through direct engagement with overseas markets," a CJ official said. "We plan to accelerate expansion into new regions in 2026."