DUBAI: A new wave of Arab animators and writers is transforming what was once a niche art form into a medium of cultural expression, identity and resistance.
From Riyadh to Beirut, creators are reclaiming the animated screen — long dominated by imported content — to tell stories that sound, look and feel distinctly Arab.
For Ola Khseirouf, founder and CEO of Alef Creates, a boutique agency specializing in Arabic-first content and storytelling, the demand for Arabic animation has “grown dramatically in the past few years — both from streaming platforms and from within the region itself.
“Platforms like Shahid now produce and release children’s shows in both Modern Standard Arabic and regional dialects such as Saudi, Egyptian and Kuwaiti, because they’ve seen that kids connect better when the characters sound like them,” she told Arab News.
Ajwan by Shahid. (Supplied)
