Mohammed Saeed Harib created the much-loved animated series Freej, which captures the nuances of modern-day UAE life. Sarah Dea / The National
Mohammed Saeed Harib created the much-loved animated series Freej, which captures the nuances of modern-day UAE life. Sarah Dea / The National
Mohammed Saeed Harib created the much-loved animated series Freej, which captures the nuances of modern-day UAE life. Sarah Dea / The National
Mohammed Saeed Harib created the much-loved animated series Freej, which captures the nuances of modern-day UAE life. Sarah Dea / The National

Persistence pays off for Freej creator


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The first time Mohammed Saeed Harib, the Emirati animation director, realised the scale of his success was in 2006, shortly after his animated series Freej had aired on TV.
"I remember being in a mall in Dubai. People started chasing me, asking for my autograph," laughs the 36-year-old. "It was completely crazy."
Despite being among the most innovative entrepreneurs in the country, Mr Harib who is the chairman of Lammtara Art Production and recently gave a talk as part of the "Art Conversations" programme at the Dubai Ladies Club, has never studied business.
He says he only attended the Northeastern University of Boston because his friends were going and it sounded like fun. Studying architecture at first, he failed his first year and was kicked off the course. He switched to general arts instead and took a course in animation.
"I was asked to invent a superhero character which represented the culture of my country," says Mr Harib. "At first I produced the kind of character that you see in comic books - macho and tough. But my teacher laughed at me. He said: 'Does this really represent your modern day culture? I want you to think outside the box'."
This was how the idea for Freej - the much-loved animated series, featuring caricatures of Emirati grandmothers and capturing the nuances of modern UAE life - was born.
That was 1998, however, and it was years before the cartoon series appeared on Dubai TV with Mr Harib revealing he encountered many obstacles bringing the project to life.
"Not only did I have to find backing to fund it, I had to persuade people here that it was something that could work."
It worked so well, however, that within weeks of it being aired, the entire nation was talking about it. In 2007, plans were drawn up to build a Freej theme park in Dubai. However the Dh1.2 billion project by Tatweer was put on hold indefinitely during the recession.
"It may or may not happen in the future," says Mr Harib, shifting his shoulders. "Tatweer is no longer operating and its projects are being moved to another Dubai Holding company. But it's OK either way. I'm happy with my success."
So what is his secret? "Persistence," he says matter-of-factly. "I'm a very persistent person by nature. If you believe in something, it will eventually work out. But you have to really believe.
"Animation was considered taboo in my culture when I first studied it. However my father was an open-minded person and he used to say: 'Study what makes you happy'.
"I'm grateful for the support of my family and the people who encouraged me along the way. I met a number of key people over the years who saw something in what I was doing. That gave me hope."
It also gave him the investment he needed to fund such a massive project. Seven years on from Freej's debut and the fifth season of is due to be aired in a month's time.
Mr Harib also has a feature-length film in the making, with the director of The Lion King Roger Allers and produced by the Hollywood actress Salma Hayek.
Both projects, he says, are takes on modern-day Emirati society. "They come from the perspective of a simplistic mindset, digesting the sophistication of a city, invaded with very new ideas.
"They question how we as a people are responding to modern changes. Are we for example letting go of our morals, our individuality, our identity?" he says.
Last year, Mr Harib worked as a creative consultant on a project called Cruel Summer which featured Kanye West and was launched in the Cannes Film Festival.
He is also working on his first feature film with Image Nation in Abu Dhabi, which he describes as "an untitled sports commentary based around football".
His success is not limited to animated movies. Describing himself as a "brand", he points out that he also directs events, designs logos and he is an expert on photography.
His advice to other young entrepreneurs and artists?
"Don't work for the sake of working and face major setbacks head- on. Never give up."
 
business@thenational.ae

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

 

 

West Indies v England ODI series:

West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.

Fixtures:

1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown

2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown

3rd ODI - February 25, St George's

4th ODI - February 27, St George's

5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet

War and the virus
match info

Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')

Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

While you're here
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SHAITTAN
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Six tips to secure your smart home

Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.

Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.

Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.

Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.

Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.

Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.

BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

UAE central contracts

Full time contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid

Part time contracts

Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

The biog

Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer

Favourite superhero: Batman

Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.

Favourite car: Lamborghini

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EClara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPatrick%20Rogers%2C%20Lee%20McMahon%2C%20Arthur%20Guest%2C%20Ahmed%20Arif%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELegalTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%244%20million%20of%20seed%20financing%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWamda%20Capital%2C%20Shorooq%20Partners%2C%20Techstars%2C%20500%20Global%2C%20OTF%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Knuru%20Capital%2C%20Plug%20and%20Play%20and%20The%20LegalTech%20Fund%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Asia Cup 2018 final

Who: India v Bangladesh

When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium

Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat