KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - MediaOutReach - 18 December 2020 - Manga Productions, asubsidiary company of Mohammed bin Salman "Misk" Foundation, announcedtoday a partnership agreement with NEOM whereby the location for the secondSeason of the Saudi Animation Series "Future's Folktales" -- otherwiseknown as Asatir: Mirai No Mukashibanashi - will take place throughout NEOM.This is following the success of Season one, which experienced a viewershipexceeding the 70-million mark around the world.

Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Essam Bukhary, CEO of MangaProductions, said: "We are delighted to collaborate with NEOM for thesetting of the second season of Asateer -- Future's Folktales. This partnershipbrings Saudi Arabia's creative industry together with NEOM, an incubator ofcreative capabilities and ground-breaking technologies that embodies theKingdom's Vision 2030. The partnership supports our goal to inspire the futuregenerations to be part of the development of NEOM and build a bright future forall humanity."

Eng. Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM , said: "We are pleased thatNEOM will be the setting of season 2 Asateer -- Future Folktales, as we arecommitted to fostering and inspiring local and international talent, and weencourage those in the creative industry around the world to participate inManga's competition which will be held in 2021."

The partnership comes after the launch of Future Folktales serieslast January in partnership with Toei Animation in Japan, which introduced the Saudiculture to audiences around the world and celebrated the Arabic language whileconnecting children with Arab heritage and values and to future technologiesthrough creative content.

The series aired across 19 streaming regional and international platforms,including TV channels in Japan, China, Taiwan, Ireland, UK and the UnitedStates, where Japanese animation series are popular, contributing to thedissemination of the Saudi culture across the world.

As part of the partnership, Manga announced preparations to launcha competition in 2021 inviting creatives around the world to submit propdesigns to be featured in one of the episodes of "Future's Folktales". Thiscompetition will empower local and international talents to unleash theircreative potential and showcase their work to Arab and international audiences.

Eng. AbdulazizAl-Naghmoush, Business Development Manager at Manga , commented: "Since its establishment,Manga has been committed to investing and developing talents to enrich SaudiArabia's creative industry. Our partnership with NEOM supports this commitment bybeing the home and future of dreamers and doers, which places NEOM as one ofthe best environments for the second season of Asateer -- Future's Folktales."

For more info onManga Productions, visit www.manga.com.sa