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Bollywood, Hollywood, and gaming collide in Saudi

Oct 20, 2025, 8:41am EDT
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Photo of global stars at Saudi entertainment chief Turki Al-Sheikh’s home cinema on the sidelines of the Joy Forum in Riyadh.
@turki/Instagram

The Joy Forum in Riyadh is blurring the lines between Hollywood, Bollywood, sports, gaming, and pop culture.

Shaquille O’Neal, Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, and Squid Game actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun were among those in the same room as YouTube giant MrBeast, in what social media has dubbed “the crossover of the century.” It was the kind of guest list that seems nonsensical… until Saudi entertainment chief Turki Al-Sheikh decides to host. If Al-Sheikh’s Instagram teasers are anything to go by (“big surprises coming soon”), this may have just been a preview of an even wilder show to come.

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