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He may be named after a legend of the past but Ajaaj — the UAE's first cartoon superhero — is here to protect the future.
Set in the UAE in the year 2020, the Ajaaj comic series has already made its mark in the local community with fans of all ages picking up copies of the first edition.
Picture this: the UAE is leading the way in world trade, industry and tourism — just as is the plan today. However, the media is filled with reports of a natural disaster, a sand storm which has hit towns and shores leaving substantial damage in its aftermath.
These reports are interrupted by kids who refute them, declaring the force behind the storm is Ajaaj.
They say he can morph into a well-built young UAE man, a wall or even a bridge. He can fly and solidify, turn into fine dust, infiltrate tightly locked areas and even transform into structures strong enough to stop the fastest bullet train.
Sounds mysterious? Then read on.
Mystery
Ahmad Obaid Al Mansoori, coordinator general at Watani, the organisation behind the cartoon, revealed the mystery surrounding Ajaaj.
"At Watani we are here to promote the strong values and morals of the people of the United Arab Emirates —values of which we are truly proud of. We do this through various mediums and one of the latest is through Ajaaj — the UAE's first cartoon superhero — who we hope will appeal to people of all ages but mostly children and teenagers between the ages of 9 and 17.
"The story and series will obviously be focused around Ajaaj who can only be described as a natural phenomenon.
"The series was designed to appeal to the youth in an effort to revive their interest in reading. The books are produced monthly in hard cover version to offer the avid collectors an added-value item to keep."
Values
The 44-page book follows the superhero, which many consider merely a storm originating in the desert. He is spotted by two attentive twins, Shamma and Humaid, as a young man who looks distinctively like an Emirati and upholds the cultural values of the UAE people. For many people including the parents of the two characters, Ajaaj is nothing but clouds of dust and is therefore completely misunderstood. He is portrayed by the media as the cause of the calamities that sweep the country.
The 6th Day news crew follows the phenomenon in a bid to work out exactly what is going on. Launching the book in style, this crew can also be spotted in the flesh around malls on the look out for the hero.
Next issue
Al Mansoori said: "We are a non-profit organisation and therefore any money made from the sales of Ajaaj will be ploughed back into the production of the next issues. We hope the children of the UAE will come to love Ajaaj and always look forward to the next issue — which is being worked on as we speak."
Although the plan is to eventually sell copies of the comic book, the first issue of Ajaaj, which is out now, is free and is currently being distributed as part of Dubai Summer Surprises.
Copies are available at the Ajaaj store at Modesh Fun City, Airport Expo, Dubai, as well as at various malls around the country until August 31.
Ajaaj is also available online and readers can download one page a day throughout the month.
Essence
Mohammad Baharoon, deputy coordinator general of the Watani programme, said: "We intended the comic book series to be a communications tool with two key audiences.
"First, the children of the UAE, whom we hope will buy into the values and ethical code Ajaaj upholds and realise that their national identity is something that can carry them through the future. And secondly, the international community which has been exposed to information about the economic boom in the UAE but has not yet discovered the true essence of our social and cultural values and traditions.
"With this strong medium at our disposal, we hope to achieve significant progress in bridging the gap between perception and reality."
If Ajaaj is a success it won't only be the pages of the comic book he appears on. Watani already has high hopes for the series and is exploring options within the television, video gaming and movie industries.
What is Watani?
Watani is a society development programme that was launched on December 2, 2005 to promote UAE national identity and the practices of good citizenship within the UAE's diverse and multicultural society.
The programme organises and implements various educational, entertainment, sport and media activities that are directed at youth, women and children. The activities and campaigns organised by Watani are carried out by a number of volunteers and public interest advocates in the UAE.
Information
For more information or to download the Ajaaj comic, visit www.watani.ae
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