ABU DHABI // A digital sticker pack based on the characters of the Emirati animated television series Freej has been launched by Facebook.
The stickers, a pack of pictures that can be downloaded on the Facebook Messenger app and then posted during chats, are the first to be created in the UAE.
Facebook Messenger users in the Middle East can download the set of stickers, called Celebrate with the Fun Old Ladies and Abood from Freej, for free.
Jonathan Labin, head of Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Facebook, said the launch of the stickers coincided with the start of Ramadan, which has seen an increase in use of the social media website in recent years.
He said: "Partnering with Freej to launch the sticker pack at this time of the year is significant to us at Facebook while we aim to connect the world and make the Facebook experience for users better and more personal.
“During Ramadan, people have maximum engagements online with their friends, families and their favourite brands.”
Freej is a popular 3D cartoon featuring the adventures of four elderly Emirati ladies living in Dubai.
Mohammed Saeed Harib, the creator and producer of the show, said: "Freej celebrates the spirit of Ramadan through characters that resonate with people we know and admire.
"With the rising popularity of stickers on Facebook Messenger, the debut of Freej at the Facebook Sticker Store is an exciting time and opportunity for us to stimulate conversations within the growing users on Facebook."
Across the Middle East and Africa regions, Facebook has 191 million users and 167 million mobile users.
newsdesk@thenational.ae