Lee Seung-yoon, co-founder of Story, attends Saudi royal family-led Middle East’s largest awards ceremony, the JOY Awards

It was reported on the 20th that a co-founder of Story (Story, $IP) attended the JOY Awards (JOY Awards), the Middle East’s largest culture and entertainment awards ceremony led by the Saudi royal family.

The JOY Awards are a flagship event of Riyadh Season, a major cultural project by the Saudi government, and a global cultural event that draws leading figures each year across film, drama, music and sports worldwide.

This year’s JOY Awards were held on a grand scale with attendees including members of the Saudi royal family and government officials, as well as figures representing Hollywood and the global content industry. From South Korea, major figures in culture and entertainment—including co-founder Lee Seung-yoon as well as Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun—were reported to have attended. Internationally, Hollywood stars Oscar Isaac, Jeremy Piven, Heather Graham, Alfie Allen and Travis Fimmel were in attendance, and the evening program also featured performances by top pop stars Katy Perry and Robbie Williams, as well as Il Divo.

Lee is said to have used the occasion to network with stakeholders in the cultural and content industries across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, and to explore potential collaboration in global markets. Story is a project aimed at building next-generation digital infrastructure by combining intellectual property (IP), data and artificial intelligence (AI), and has recently been expanding its presence in global markets.

The industry says attendance at the JOY Awards could go beyond a simple appearance, serving as an opportunity for Story to broaden its touchpoints with the rapidly growing cultural, content and tech ecosystems in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia is pressing ahead with its push to become a global hub by continuing large-scale investment in the culture and entertainment industries under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030.