Along with Iftah Ya Simsim, the Arabic version of hit children's show Sesame Street that taught an entire Arab generation its alphabet and numbers during the 1980s, the dubbed cartoons were the product of the GCC Joint Production Program Institution, which was set up in 1976 to make television programmes for the region. Until the cartoons were taken off the screen in the late 1990s (they have returned recently as reruns on the SpaceToon channel) children would tune in, often with their parents, at 4pm every day. Fans took autographs and photos with her, tweeting about meeting “Captain Majid”.Īrabic-dubbed cartoons, particularly Japanese animated cartoons, once ruled the TV screens of homes in not just the UAE but much of the Arab world. “Oh my god! you bring back so many childhood memories,” said Afra Ahmed, an Emirati in her 30s, a sentiment expressed by most of the Emirati and Arab attendees, young and old. Just how much her voice is loved was illustrated in the reaction of the audience in her appearance as a guest speaker recently at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival. She starred in and co-wrote the documentary Amal, by Emirati filmmaker Nujoom Al Ghanem, that won the Muhr Emirati main award at the 2011 Dubai Film Festival.īut it is for cartoons that she is recognised. She has worked with famous directors such as Fawaz Al Sajer, Manuel Gigy, Mansour Al Salti and Nader Qassim.

The Syrian actress, writer and artist has been in many serious and award-winning productions, with a distinguished career in film, books and theatre, appearing in more than 20 plays around the Arab world.

Al sindbad arabic cartoon