SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 22 December 2020 - Manga Productions, asubsidiary company of Mohammed bin Salman "Misk" Foundation, announcedtoday a partnership agreement with NEOM, where the events of season 2 of theSaudi animation series "Future's Folktales" will take place, followingthe great success of the first season among Arab and international audiences, withviews exceeding the seventy million mark around the world.

Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Essam Bukhary, CEO of MangaProductions, said: "We are delighted to collaborate with NEOM, the setting ofthe second season of Asateer -- Future's Folktales. This partnership bringsSaudi Arabia's creative industry together with NEOM, an incubator of creativecapabilities and ground-breaking technologies that embodies the Kingdom'sVision 2030. The partnership supports our goal to inspire the future generationto be part of the development of NEOM and build a bright future for allhumanity."

Engineer Nadhmi Al Nasr, CEO of NEOM, said: "We are pleased thatNEOM will be the setting of season 2 Asateer -- Future Folktales, asentertainment, media and culture are some of the main sectors we are promoting.We are committed to fostering and inspiring local and international talent, andwe encourage 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 series last January inpartnership with Toei Animation in Japan which introduced Saudi culture toaudiences 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 platformsincluding 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.

Engineer AbdulazizAl-Naghmoush, Business Development Manager at Manga, commented: "Since itsestablishment, Manga has been committed to investing and developing talents toenrich Saudi Arabia's creative industry. Our partnership with NEOM supportsthis commitment by being the home and future of dreamers and doers, whichplaces NEOM as one of the best environments for the second season of Asateer --Future's Folktales."