The popular Emirati cartoon, Mansour, is back for a second season. The unique show blends comedy, multi-national characters and meaningful storylines revolving around the heritage and values of the U.A.E.. Mansour was conceptualised in an effort to connect with young Emiratis about having healthy lifestyles, pursuing careers in knowledge-intensive industries and reinforcing cultural identity.
The success of the first season in the U.A.E., supported by Mubadala Development Company, will be extended to the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with the help of Cartoon Network Arabic. The partnership harnesses the production expertise of the world-renowned Cartoon Network Studios Arabia while bringing a number of full-time jobs to Abu Dhabi across creative development, writing and storyboarding, pre-production, artwork and post-production.
Cartoon Network Studios Arabia will bring years of universal quality, expertise and highly respected international production experience for Mansour Cartoon's second season working from twofour54, Abu Dhabi's media and entertainment hub. twofour54 is the regional centre of excellence in content creation, across all media platforms including film, broadcast, music, digital media, events, gaming and publishing, and is providing facilities for Mansour Cartoon's production.
"We created Mansour for Emirati youth, and we're thrilled that the terrific response has given us the opportunity to take Mansour's lessons about healthy living, culture and friendship to the broader region," said Rashed Al Harmoodi, Creator and Executive Producer of Mansour. "With this partnership between Mubadala and Cartoon Network Arabic as well as Cartoon Network Studios Arabia, Emiratis will also have the opportunity to contribute to its production and be part of the Mansour story." In addition to multiple community events and social media activities throughout the year, Mansour Cartoon's popularity has grown tremendously since the show began. Mansour Cartoon's second season builds on the loyal fan base that Mansour has generated, including the Mansour Run mobile app, which has received 1.2 million downloads globally since launching earlier this year and was developed by designers and artists from Cartoon Network Animation Academy.
The series is expected to create a number of full-time roles with some being filled from Cartoon Network Animation Academy. The Animation Academy provides a 16 month, full-time production course at twofour54's tadreeb media training facility, the first of its kind in the MENA region. The academy recruits will have the chance to put their creativity, talent and training into practice, as well as become involved in one of the most exciting and high-profile projects at a very early stage of their careers.
Mansour began airing in March 2014 on the Cartoon Network Arabic channel and has proved to be a popular hit with children and parents across the MENA region. Cartoon Network Arabic is a free-to-air children's channel that is broadcast across the MENA region. It is the official Arabic edition of Cartoon Network, which prides itself on delivering quality entertainment and being a place where children can be themselves and laugh out loud.