Watani launches Ajaaj comic book series

The UAE is leading world trade and has become the showcase of its latest technologies and inventions. However the media is filled with reports of a natural disaster, a sand storm which has hit its towns and shores leaving substantial damages in its trail. A storm many eyewitness say, that is like no other.

However news reports are always interrupted by kids around the country who refute these reports declaring that the force behind the storm is something called "Ajaaj". Reportedly this mysterious storm can morph into a well-built young UAE man or a wall or even a bridge. This "Ajaaj" can fly and solidify, it can turn into fine dust and infiltrate tightly locked areas, and it can turn into a massive wall to stop a bullet fast train. Reporters around the UAE have pointed to the size of the damage this storm has left behind while kids say that this Ajaaj is a superhero who upholds the values of the UAE and saves people.

But this Saturday Watani, the UAE social development program, revealed the mystery behind Ajaaj as it announced the launch of the first ever UAE superhero. Ajaaj is the subject of the first of its kind of comic book series. The Ajaaj launch campaign kicks off tonight at the Ibn Batuta shopping mall in Dubai with a variety of interactive activities and will tour the country throughout July and August to introduce this unique UAE hero.

This superhero, which many people consider as merely a storm that originated in the UAE deserts, is seen by the two attentive twins, Shamma and Humaid, as a young man who looks distinctively as he is from the UAE and upholds the cultural values of its people. For many people including the parents of the two characters, Ajaaj is nothing but clouds of dust and is therefore completely misunderstood. He is portrayed by the media as the cause of the calamities that stroke the country.

The series which is based on the character of Ajaaj and located in the UAE in 2020 was designed to appeal to the youngsters in an effort to revive their interest in reading. The books are produced monthly in hard cover version to offer the avid collectors an added value item to keep. The first issue of Ajaaj will be distributed at the various DSS locations, Modhesh City and in the shopping malls around the country. The 44-page story will also be available online and readers can download one page a day throughout the month.

Mohammed Baharoon, Deputy Coordinator General, Watani program said: "We intended the comic book series to be a communications tool with two key audiences. First, the children of the UAE, whom we hope will buy into the values and ethical code Ajaaj upholds and realize that their national identity is something that can carry them through the future. They are the future generation of this country which should maintain a strong connection with the values and cultural traditions of our nation.

"Second, Ajaaj, making use of the universal comic book format provides a most effective element of communication with the international community which has been exposed to information about the economic boom in the UAE. However they have not yet discovered the true essence of our social and cultural values and traditions. With this strong medium at our disposal, we hope to achieve a significant progress in bridging the gap between the perception and the reality".

Baharoon explained that the comic book series is designed to be lively and fun while presenting a platform to communicate to the children the joys of reading in today's e-world. He added: "Many international legends have been created based on the comic strips or book series and were later adapted to the television and cinema. We hope to create a contemporary UAE legend through the monthly dissemination of the comic book followed in the future by a cartoon series, a video game, and a feature movie".