Cartoon Creator Talks to SFS-Qatar Students

On Thursday March 6, the Career Development Center (CDC) hosted a presentation by Mohammed Saeed Harib the Creator of “Freej”, the first 3D animated cartoon series in the Middle East. Sponsored by Georgetown University Student Affairs, this lecture celebrated the launch of a lecture series entitled “Follow your Career Dreams” aimed at inspiring students’ career choices.

In an animated and informal lecture, Harib shared with Georgetown University and other Education City students his experience creating “Freej” and the challenges he faced in the process. As a successful young man in his mid-twenties, he hoped to inspire the students to persevere in order to realize their dream projects or careers. He also gave the students a sneak preview of a clip from Season 3 of “Freej”.

Harib’s story began when he was majoring in General Arts at Northeastern University in Boston. His interest in animation was triggered when he passed by an animation classroom and then registered for an animation class. The class professor asked the students to identify cartoons they liked from their cultures. Harib realized that there wasn’t a cartoon character to which he could relate. Like many other young Arabs, Harib was exposed to the Arabic version of Japanese cartoons, and a variety of Western cartoons like Superman, but he could not think of an Arab cartoon character made in an Arab country. As a child, he learned about Japanese culture and what New York looked like –– but he learned nothing about his culture from cartoons.

He then was asked to design a super-hero character from his own culture. Although Arabic culture is rich in heroes, Harib had to brainstorm and pick someone who inspires him. He thought of how the women of previous generations used to handle childrearing, housework, and other work while the men were away for months diving for pearls. “The new generation did not reflect on the role of their grandmothers. They did not give them due credit,” Harib said. Consequently, he created his cartoon superhero Um Said, an Emirati grandmother. Harib created other grandmother characters such as Um Salloum, Um Allawi, and Um Khamees giving each a distinctive personality – thus reflecting the differences that exist among the women of the Gulf region.

Coming back to the UAE, Harib worked in the marketing department at Dubai Media City (DMC). He had a very good job, and received a very good salary, but Harib had a dream of creating a cartoon reflecting the Emirati culture. His four “grannies” were still alive in his sketch book. One day, his boss noticed the sketches and encouraged Harib to pursue his dream. That was the point when Harib decided to create the cartoon “Freej” which means neighborhood in Arabic. Harib’s vision for the cartoon was to revive the traditional Emirati wisdom through the lives of the four grandmothers.

The journey to turn the four grandmothers from notebook sketches to TV cartoons was a challenge but definitely a rewarding one for Harib. He knocked on the doors of local companies for sponsorship but did not receive the support he needed. He was turned down by private companies and TV executives, too. They failed to see the cultural and educational value that “Freej” brings beyond the entertainment factor. The TV stations were satisfied with the cartoons they import and dub into Arabic.

Harib then applied to the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders for funding of the project. In order to secure the grant, he conducted research with universities to explore the cartoon idea further and to prove the case for a need for “Freej”. Eventually, he received a loan of 4.2 million Dirhams to start his journey.

After his show first aired in Ramdan 2006, contracts and deals started rolling in. It was a big success in the Emirates and the Gulf region. Harib is currently working on the third season of Freej. He also launched Freej franchises such as toys, school stationery, juice, and DVDs.

The Career Development Center is keen on inviting presenters such as Mohammed Harib to share their career paths and offer students tips for succeeding in the present job market. According to Basmah Ali, Career Development Manager at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar), “This series of lectures aims to raise students’ awareness of different employment trends and issues. We hope that the lectures inspire them and empower their career decision-making.”