Saudi Arabia has lately been nurturing publishing and translation as one of the key pillars of its cultural industries. Centred on the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission under the Ministry of Culture, translation-support programmes and international book fairs are run actively, and the Riyadh International Book Fair and the Jeddah International Book Fair have established themselves as major publishing events in the Middle East. Within this climate, a wide range of foreign literary works are being introduced to local bookstores, and Korean literature too is steadily broadening its readership.
Korean Literature at the Kingdom's Largest Bookstore Chain
Jarir Bookstore began in 1974 as a small shop in Riyadh and has since grown into a leading bookstore-and-retail company with operations across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. Alongside books, it sells electronics, stationery and educational supplies, and is counted among the region's representative culture-and-retail brands.
Against this backdrop, the correspondent visited Jarir Bookstore's Granada Mall branch in Riyadh in person to survey the state of translated Korean literature on its shelves. The Granada Mall branch, which newly opened in April 2026, showcases translated literature from a range of countries, organised around a world-literature section. There, a variety of Korean novels and essays were on sale in both English and Arabic translation, with Korean literature meeting readers through a dedicated display. A local staff member noted that the number of readers seeking out Korean literature has been steadily rising.
Inside Jarir Bookstore — Source: photo by the correspondent
Korean literature on sale at a Saudi bookstore — Source: photo by the correspondent
Korean Literature on Saudi Bookshelves
The Korean literary works found in store spanned a range of genres — novels, essays and short-story collections. Arabic translations on sale included Kim Ho-yeon's The Uncanny Convenience Store, Hwang Bo-reum's Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, Choi Eun-young's Shoko's Smile and Lee Mi-ye's The Dallergut Dream Department Store 2; English translations included Sohn Won-pyung's Almond, Cho Nam-joo's Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, Kim Ryeo-ryeong's The Trunk (known as the original work behind the OTT drama series), Cheon Seon-ran's A Thousand Blues, Hwang Bo-reum's Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, Heo Tae-yeon's Bakuda Photo Studio and Yoo Young-gwang's The Rainfall Shop. Korean essay titles were also on display, including Kim Su-hyun's I Decided to Live as Myself and Ha Tae-wan's Every Moment Was You. Some titles sat side by side in their English and Arabic editions, allowing readers to choose the language they preferred.
The English and Arabic editions of Cho Nam-joo's Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 on display at Jarir Bookstore — Source: photo by the correspondent
Most of the titles on display were bestsellers that have secured strong sales and a broad readership in Korea as well. Sohn Won-pyung's Almond, a coming-of-age narrative; Cho Nam-joo's Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, which illuminates women's lives and social realities; and Kim Ho-yeon's The Uncanny Convenience Store, which portrays human relationships and consolation within a community, are all representative Korean works that have been translated into multiple languages and are reaching readers abroad. Hwang Bo-reum's Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop — the story of a protagonist who, after deciding to leave her job, runs a neighbourhood bookshop and builds relationships with all kinds of people — has been published in translation in many countries beyond Korea and has won a warm response from readers.
The Korean-Content Wave Extends into Literature
Gonzalagdi, a staff member at the Jarir Bookstore Granada Mall branch, said in an interview with the correspondent: "In the past, many customers looking for East Asian literature sought out Japanese works, but lately, under the influence of Korean dramas, films and K-pop, the number of customers seeking Korean literature is growing." He named Hwang Bo-reum's Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop as a Korean title currently popular at the store.
Jarir Bookstore staff member Gonzalagdi holding a popular Korean title — Source: photo by the correspondent
Jarir Bookstore does not officially disclose sales figures or rankings for individual titles, so exact sales statistics are hard to verify. Even so, Gonzalagdi explained that the works placed on the main display tables reflect readers' interest and demand. The very fact that a variety of Korean literary works are consistently displayed in the world-literature section is itself a basis for gauging local readers' interest.
Only a year or two ago, it was not as easy to come across Korean literature in Saudi bookstores as it is now. As Korean dramas, films and K-pop spread rapidly among young people across the Middle East, that interest is carrying over into literature as well. It can also be read as a sign that interest in Korean content is deepening beyond a passing trend into a broader curiosity about the culture as a whole. As Saudi Arabia pursues the cultivation of its cultural industries as a national strategy, Korean literature's foothold is expected to widen further alongside the growth of the translation-publishing market.
Image Sources & References
— Photos by the correspondent
— Jarir Bookstore, jarir.com/sa-en
— Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, lpt.moc.gov.sa
— Jarir Marketing Company (2026. 04. 19). "Jarir Marketing Company announces the opening of a new showroom in Granada Mall – Riyadh." Saudi Exchange.
