The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) announced the launch of the Squid Game experience, at Riyadh City Boulevard, as part of the Riyadh Season2 activities. The authority said that the experience will run from Jan. 21 to March 31 and it has a private entrance and free private parking, and does not include the entry to the boulevard. The age allowed for the experience is 18 years and above. The event is inspired by the famous South Korean survival drama, Squid Game, which achieved great popularity due to its gripping narrative and thrilling games. Shown on Netflix on Sept. 17, 2021, the series became the first Korean drama to top the list of the top 10 weekly TV shows on Netflix and the most watched in the world, reaching No. 1 in 90 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Most watched on Netflix in several regional markets, within its first four weeks of launch, it drew over 142 million viewers, overtaking Bridgerton's 2020 show as the network's most-watched series to date. The series revolves around hundreds of cash-strapped people who accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games, where a tempting prize comes with a deadly danger. The series, consisting of only 9 episodes, discusses a number of political and economic issues in South Korea, highlighting the suffering of a great percentage of citizens with home loans and debts, who sells their home and belongings to meet these deadlines to avoid imprisonment. The series is written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, who inspired the concept based on his own economic struggles early in life, and stars an ensemble cast of Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung. — SG
