Image Nation Abu Dhabi to develop animated TV series

Image Nation Abu Dhabi, a top media and entertainment company and Saudi Arabia-based Vision Entertainment, a company specialising in creating locally-inspired content, have partnered to produce an animated television series about dates.

The series will showcase the rich cultural and historic treasures of Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab region, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

Ben Ross, chief content officer at Image Nation Abu Dhabi, said: "We are excited to partner with Vision Entertainment on this great project. The region is home to a huge consumer audience with a major appetite for locally made content that represents and resonates with them. Through this partnership, we are attracting top talent and creating dynamic content."

The project, tentatively titled "Tamr", is currently in its pilot production, with the full production of the series slated to begin in 2020.

The partnership with Vision Entertainment is part of Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s foray into the Saudi Arabian media industry, following the landmark production partnership with MBC and Majid Al Futtaim, announced at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Robert Knezevic, a Sesame Street veteran who was responsible for the recent reboot of the beloved Iftah Ya Simsim, and co-founder and executive producer of Vision Entertainment, added: "We are taking a holistic brand-building approach to the project. The television series is just the start. We are creating a 360-degree brand experience with live shows, digital content, mobile games, products and merchandising, and even a feature film is in the works. The region is ripe for a truly locally-inspired consumer brand."