Saudi Explorers Embark on an Adventure Across Saudi Arabia

Teamwork, adventure and discovery. That’s the mission of Saudi Explorers, a new animated TV series that began development this week at a creative workshop in Riyadh.  The series will feature a team of young Saudi heroes who use their courage, talents and teamwork as they encounter thrills and adventures set against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s natural wonders and historic treasures.

Vision Entertainment, the company behind the concept, specializes in educational-entertainment.  “Our motto is ‘entertain and inspire’”, says HRH Princess Sarah bint Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, the company’s co-founder.  “Saudi’s consume so much foreign media it’s time we mobilize our creative talents to develop our own ideas, brands and IP’s that reflect our country’s values and vision.”

Prince Sultan bin Salman was quick to recognize the impact a TV series could have on promoting the mission of the Commission on National Heritage and Tourism.  “Imagine, a TV show that takes young people on adventures to places that we treasure as a nation – Al-Hijr, At-Turaif, Al-Ula… these are our country’s wonders that all young people should grow up knowing and loving,” he said.  “But we wanted more,” he added.  “A TV show is great, but we want to reach young people everywhere, so we commissioned apps, a website, and live events so kids can enjoy the experience at school, at home and in the community.”

The Vision Entertainment team is also working closely with Saudi Heritage Preservation Society.  “Our role is to assure the authenticity of the content and to advise on matters of culture and heritage,” said Princess Adila bint Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society.

The concept also appealed to Princess Reema Bandar. As Deputy Minister of the Sports Authority, she saw an opportunity to reach young people with messages aligned with the Sports Authority’s mission.  “Teamwork, perseverance, leadership, and a healthy body and mind is what we strive to instill and inspire in our young people,” said Princess Reema.  “We see Saudi Explorers as a great vehicle to talk to our young people about the values needed to live in vibrant society and ambitions nation.”

Dawood Alshirian, CEO of Saudi Broadcasting Company, another Saudi Explorers backer, had this to say:  “Saudi Explorers is a classic example of a 360-degree entertainment experience, the way Disney and Sesame Street approaches brand development.  It fits perfectly into our strategy to develop world class local content and revitalize our media sector, which is driven by our young people.”

The workshop was led by Robert Knezevic, Co-founder of Vision Entertainment, whose credits include over 500 hours of international television production, including the famous remake of Iftah Ya Simsim. “It’s a thrill to be working with young Saudi talents and helping to unleash their creativity, vision and ambition to create great content for their country,” he said.

Vision Entertainment strategy is to partner with government and private sector to create content that promotes the values of Vision 2030.  A number of projects are slated for production that will tackle critical social issues through entertaining programming.

“We’re targeting all sectors of Saudi society, from preschoolers to teens to young adults,” said Sarah Faisal.   “We analyzed the objectives of Vision 2030 and found that so many of the expected outcomes can be influenced through the media.  So we developed entertaining formats that tackle issues like road safety, entrepreneurship, careers and employment, health and fitness, national pride. sThere is so much we can do as Saudis to tell our story through the media – for our own citizens and for the world to see and enjoy,” she said. “Entertain and inspire, that’s our mission,” she added.