Ahlan Simsim

Ahlan Simsim (Welcome Sesame) is an Arabic co-production of Sesame Street that premiered on February 2, 2020, on MBC3.Meet the New Muppets of Ahlan Simsim!, Medium, November 17, 2019. The program features "brand-new, Arabic-speaking Muppet characters with storylines that both displaced and host community children can relate to.""Introducing...Ahlan Simsim!," Medium, February 20, 2019. 
The show's first broadcast season in 2019 and second season in 2020 are based around a curriculum regarding emotions.60 Minutes, November 18, 2019. A third season was released in 2021 focusing on life challenges. A fourth season was released as well later in 2021. The fifth season was released in 2022.Sesame Workshop Intros New Muppet To Connect With Disabled And Displaced Kids, Kidscreen, March 27, 2022.
The series features three original Muppet characters to the series - Basma, Jad (heavily implied to be a refugee child), and Ma'zooza. In addition to human cast members Hadi, Teta Noor (Aunt Noor), and Salma in series 3, the series also includes animated characters Abu'l Fihem, the birds Reesheh, Bulbul, and Hassoon, and the Dabke Dancers, alongside localized versions of Grover, Cookie Monster, and Elmo. The fifth season introduced Ameera, a physically disabled Muppet who uses forearm crutches and a wheelchair. Elmo's dog Tango was added for the 2024 season.Ahlan Simsim season promo
The project, originally proposed under the working title "Sesame Seeds," was created for Middle Eastern areas with populations of Syrian refugees, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. In addition to the main television program, the project has components bringing education to the children of the refugee camps - home visitation and caregiving, the creation of learning centers and through mass media.
==Development==
The project was created in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), where it was entered in the MacArthur Foundation's first-ever "100&Change" competition for a one hundred million dollar grant. The organizations entered the competition in 2016 and out of over 800 applicants, they were named among the eight semi-finalists in February 2017.Sesame Workshop press release (February 15, 2017) By September, they were among the top five finalists.Sesame Workshop press release (September 19, 2017)
Sherrie Westin, Executive Vice President, Global Impact & Philanthropy at Sesame Workshop, presented the organization's plan for the project at the MacArthur Foundation's presentation on December 11, 2017, where she was briefly joined onstage by Tonton, of Jordan's Hikayat Simsim.
On December 20, 2017, it was announced that Sesame Workshop and the IRC were the winners of the competition, allowing the project to move forward."Sesame Street to help Syrian refugees", BBC News, December 20, 2017.
At the 2019 Cannes Lions festival, Sherrie Westin and Brown Johnson unveiled the three new Muppet characters to be used in the series, including a female monster named Basma.Sesame Workshop on Twitter Behind-the-scenes production of the series was the focus of a 60 Minutes segment in November 2019.
==Gallery==
File:Ahlan Simsim key art 02.jpg
File:Ahlan Simsim key art 03.jpg
File:Ahlan Simsim with kids.jpg
File:Ahlan Simsim bts 01.jpg
File:Ahlan Simsim bts 02.jpg
File:Ahlan Simsim bts 03.jpg
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==See also==
*:Category:Ahlan Simsim Books
==Sources==
==External links==
*Official site
*Sesame Street + IRC
*MacArthur Foundation - 100&Change
*December 2017 Finalist Presentation
*Ahlan Simsim Annual Report Executive Summary 2018: Year One
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Category:International Sesame Street Shows