by Saudi Arabia, a Middle Eastern country, is one of the world’s largest oil-producing countries, but it is now moving away from its oil-dependent economy. One step in this direction is anime. A Saudi Arabian TV anime will be broadcast on Japanese terrestrial TV for the first time in November, and a preview screening will be held on October 28th. What kind of anime is it? Arabian coffee and dates were served at the preview screening, held in Tokyo. Ambassadors and their families from Middle Eastern countries, employees of Saudi Arabian companies, and others were invited.
The anime screened, “Asatir 2: Tales of the Future,” is set in a future city in Saudi Arabia and tells the story of traditional folk tales being passed down to children. Starting November 3rd, it will be the first Saudi-made anime broadcast regularly in Japan (on TV Tokyo). Manga Productions, an animation production company based in Saudi Arabia, produced this anime.
With offices in Riyadh and Tokyo, the company produces original anime and distributes Japanese anime overseas. Manga Productions and Toei Animation co-produced “Asatir 2. “Manga Productions CEO Bukhari Isam said, “Thanks to everyone’s support, we are delighted that it has been decided that the show will be broadcast on Japanese terrestrial TV.
We hope to contribute to cultural exchange by watching the content. Just as I fell in love with Japan when I watched Japanese anime as a child, I would be happy if many children would watch the content and feel closer to Saudi Arabia.” Saudi Arabia, which aims to break away from its dependence on oil, is now focusing on developing the entertainment industry, including anime, nationally. In 2019, the Japanese “Anime Expo” was held in Riyadh.
In addition to mobilizing approximately 40,000 people over three days, the national project “Qiddiya City” aims to develop a city specialized in entertainment, such as anime and games. Crown Prince Mohammed, who holds real political power in Saudi Arabia, is also known to be a fan of Japanese anime and supports the development of the industry.
“When doing business with Saudi Arabia in the future, I would like you to think of it as content money, entertainment money, not oil money,” said CEO Isam. CEO Isam noted that the Saudi Arabian anime industry will continue to expand. Regarding the market scale, he said, “By 2030, the market size in the Middle East is likely to double and possibly even grow even more.” *World Business Satellite
