A legend is born: iftah ya simsim

Launched in 1979 in Kuwait, Iftah Ya Simsim is the Arabic adaptation of the US kids’ TV show Sesame Street. Broadcast in over 22 Arabic-speaking countries, the original series ran until 1990 and was praised for its educational benefits to children. The show continued to be well-known decades after it went off air and in 2010 efforts began to revive the show for a new generation of young viewers in the Arab world. After a 25-year hiatus, the new version debuted in September 2015 across both national and private TV channels in Gulf countries. The show saw the return of much-loved characters - No’man, Shams, Melsoon and Gargur in a modernised version. Aimed at children between four and six years old, Iftah Ya Simsim includes dozens of songs and allows youngsters to identify and pronounce all 28 letters of the Arabic alphabets.