Abu Dhabi government orgs Mubadala Investment Company and the Early Childhood Authority are funding a series reboot of Bidaya Media’s popular TV show Mansour.

The Adventures of Mansour: Age of A.I. (pictured, 52 x 11 minutes) is aimed at kids ages six to 12, and focuses on artificial intelligence, technology, climate change and space exploration. It revolves around a 12-year-old boy who accidentally creates an evil technology called Blink. With the support of his closest friends, Mansour must face the chaos and danger Blink causes in Salam City. Bidaya will produce the series in English and Arabic, and is pitching it at MIPCOM.

New York-based Baboon Animation is in charge of English dubbing, with Philippines-based Draw Studio doing the animation.

Created by Mubadala exec Rashed Alharmoodi, the original show (105 x 11 minutes) premiered in 2013 on Abu Dhabi TV and Sama Dubai TV channels in the United Arab Emirates. Cartoon Network Studios Arabia, Yowza Digital and ICE Animations produced the series, which to date has attracted three million YouTube subscribers, according to a release.

The reboot will showcase Mansour’s heritage so kids can learn about Arabian culture, and producing it in English will tap into the IP’s wide fan base and target an international audience.

No new episodes of Mansour have been released since 2019, yet the show has continued to expand its reach. Last year, Bidaya Media appointed London-based licensing agent WildBrain CPLG to represent the brand in the Middle East and North Africa.