Wednesday, Jul 15, 2009

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) will produce an Emirati cartoon series named after cartoon character Hamdoon, which represents many aspects of the UAE's cultural and social life.

The authority will release Hamdoon to the public in an attempt to make it a national figure to be used in the authority's projects for children, such as picture and activity books.

An agreement to produce the serial was signed yesterday between the authority and Ajyal, a company funded by the Khalifa Fund to Support and Develop Small and Medium Enterprises.

The serial will be directed by Emirati artist Abdullah Mohammad Al Sharhan, creator of Hamdoon and CEO of Ajyal.

Speaking at a press conference before signing the agreement, Mohammad Khalaf Al Mazroui, General Director of ADACH, said: "Through this cartoon character, we can provide our children with family entertainment, allowing others as well to share our culture, norms and values, while releasing and investing in the potential powers and talents of the Emirati youth, telling the world "We are here! We are the sons of this age!

"We will utilise its achievements and innovations to serve our national culture and identity."

Al Sharhan said the weekly serial will be ready for broadcast by October 2010. "We have not yet decided which television channelwill broadcast it," he said.

"A group of Emirati writers is preparing the script on the life of a six-year-old Emirati kid who acknowledges his country for the first time as he was born and raised abroad," Al Sharhan told Gulf News.

Hamdoon is a curious and adventurous character, who is fond of collecting discarded things and putting them to some use.

The authority adopted Hamdoon "to instill our rich local culture in the minds of our kids, allowing them to know how deep their ancestors' culture was, for which they should be the extension, showing them the importance of preserving the national character and identity..." Al Mazroui said.

Fact file

By Eman Mohammed, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor

Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.