- Establishment of Manga International was announced in a ceremony in Tokyo, Japan by Manga Arabia. - Manga Arabia has carved its image in the Arab world by publishing two manga magazines in cooperation with well-known Japanese publishers like Eigo-Japan.
- The expansion is an attempt to counter intellectual property theft and content piracy, and at the same time, to meet the demand for manga content worldwide and make manga more accessible to Arabic literature and culture.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2024 – Manga Arabia, a daughter company of the Saudi Research and Media Group, announced the establishment of Manga International in a ceremony held in Tokyo, Japan. Manga Arabia has expectations that with this news it will increase its visibility worldwide. Prominent representatives from Japan and Saudi Arabia attended this event. The press also participated in the event. A number of successful collaborations and agreements with well-known Japanese manga publishers, including Kodansha, Shueisha, Kadokawa, Shogakukan, and Hakusensha, have made this expansion possible. Manga Arabia has made a name for itself in the Arab world by putting out two manga publications, one targeted at young people and the other for children. There are print and digital versions of these magazines available. Over 400,000 copies are sold each month through the company's print distribution network, which consists of 220 stations throughout the Arab world. In 195 countries, the firm serves over eight million customers.The SRMG Chief Executive Officer, Jumana Rashid Al-Rashed, emphasized the importance of this global endeavor. We will grow purposefully with the help of partnerships with major manga firms and establishing a legal framework coupled with state-of-the-art technologies," she argued. She further indicated that this expansion in terms of geography and culture will be instrumental in fighting against intellectual property theft and content piracy.This will not only produce financial benefits, but it will also cultivate an educational environment catering to the enormous global demand for this content," she stated in her speech.Similar remarks were made by Dr. Issam Bukhari, the CEO of Manga Arabia and Manga International, said, "We have built fantastic momentum throughout the Arab world through manga and creative industries, winning the confidence of our Japanese and international partners. Bukhari explained his goals further in translating and producing a vast library of comic stories for readers worldwide. Manga International now seeks to benefit from its innovative background and international market growth through the Social Media and Marketing Group. In addition, he said that the development is a giant step for Saudi and Arab artistic projects in the international arena. This will be in line with the Manga Arabia objective of fostering creativity, developing and producing Arabic content, and distributing it to a large number of age and demographic audiences around the world. Manga Arabia has shown commitment by translating some of its comic stories to Malay, Chinese, and English for global distribution. In addition, it has partnered with the Commission for Literature, Publishing, and Translation to transform some Saudi novels into manga format. This project intends to make Saudi literature and culture more accessible to a more significant number of people through the manga medium.
