“Squid Game” Stars Present Award to Egyptian Comedy Series at Saudi Arabia’s Joy Awards!
- Manar Aly
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
For many viewers, the scene felt unreal. Squid Game stars standing on a Saudi awards stage to honor an Egyptian comedy series, prompting one question across social media: How did Squid Game end up here?
In a surreal moment that quickly went viral, Squid Game stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun appeared on stage at the 2026 Joy Awards to present the Favorite Egyptian Series award to the comedy hit Ashghal Shaqqa Geddan, as part of the show’s program.
Fans around the world were left asking: how did this unexpected crossover happen, and how did a Korean survival drama collide with Egyptian comedy on the same night?
What Are the Joy Awards?
The Joy Awards is the Arab world’s largest annual entertainment ceremony, held every January in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season. The sixth edition took place on Saturday, January 17, 2026, and was organized by the Saudi General Entertainment Authority in collaboration with MBC Group.
The awards, primarily decided by public voting through a dedicated app, attract artists and public figures from across the Arab world as well as international guests. This year, Squid Game stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun attended, giving the ceremony extra global attention.
The Stage Moment
Ashghal Shaqqa Geddan won the Favorite Egyptian Series award at the 2026 Joy Awards, confirmed by multiple sources. The series, starring Hisham Maged and Asmaa Galal, received loud applause as the cast and crew celebrated on stage.
The award was presented by Squid Game stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun. After opening the envelope and announcing the winner, the actors spoke about the creative and cultural connections between Korea and the Arab world, showing how storytelling brings people together.
Producer Abdullah Abu El-Fotouh thanked the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, saying the award is an important recognition of Egyptian drama on the international stage.
What Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun Said
Before announcing the winner, Lee Jung-jae spoke to the audience:
“Korea and the Arab world are both born from a powerful storytelling heritage.”
Lee Byung-hun added:
“Different cultures united by the same passion for stories.”
As the announcement continued, Lee Jung-jae said:
“And the winning Egyptian series is…”
Lee Byung-hun then revealed:
“Ashghal Shaqqa Geddan.”
Through their remarks, the actors highlighted the universal power of storytelling. They also emphasized shared cultural values, especially stories about family and community, and drew attention to the growing global visibility of Arabic-language entertainment, showing how Korean and Arabic stories can connect audiences across languages and countries.
On social media, many users also focused on the Korean actors’ efforts to speak Arabic on stage. Viewers pointed out that Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun appeared to struggle with the language but tried carefully to pronounce the name of the winning series. Their effort was widely seen as polite and respectful toward the Arabic-speaking audience.
The moment quickly drew attention online. Many viewers praised the recognition of an Egyptian TV series and were surprised to see Korean and Egyptian entertainment meet on the same stage. Fans described the scene as unusual but memorable.
Fans also saw it as proof that art connects audiences worldwide, proving that shared stories and humor can unite people across continents. Now what do you think? And how far could storytelling travel when cultures as different as Korea and Egypt meet on the same stage?