BBC Kids will offer 200 hours of premium programming, fully dubbed into the Arabic language, in a safe environment.
BBC Studios has signed a partnership with MBC Group, announcing the launch of BBC Kids content on the Arabic streaming platform, Shahid, starting February 8, 2024.
This collaboration marks a significant move to extend BBC Studios’ children’s content to a broader audience in the Middle East, offering digital accessibility to families and children aged 0-12. The endeavour aims to provide a diverse range of inspiring, entertaining, and educational shows, aligning with BBC Kids’ commitment to spark imagination and creativity. This development positions the Middle East as the sixth market to embrace the BBC Kids brand, following successful launches in Australia (April 2021), the US (January 2022), Taiwan (July 2022), South Africa (September 2022), and India, where it has been available on Prime Video Channels since July 2023.
Curated to cater to both pre-school and older children, BBC Kids will deliver 200 hours of premium programming, entirely dubbed in Arabic, within a secure environment. Pre-schoolers can anticipate new series like JoJo and Gran Gran and titles from the beloved Andy’s Adventures collection on the SVOD service, while older viewers can engage in thrilling experiences, tracking deadly animals on Deadly 60, and witnessing the competition among the best young bakers on Junior Bake Off.
In conjunction with the BBC Kids launch, the BAFTA and International Emmy award-winning pre-school animation Hey Duggee (Series one-three) is set to make its free-to-air debut on the MBC3 children’s channel across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and North Africa. Created by Grant Orchard, Senior Director of Studio AKA, Hey Duggee features a lovable dog inspiring pre-school children to be energetic, explore, and problem-solve, creating delightful moments on their amazing adventures.
Speaking about the deal, Andrea Raman, Director of Business Development for Nordics, MENA, Turkey at BBC Studios, said: “We are excited to bring BBC Kids to Shahid allowing our critically acclaimed content to connect with a broader audience and enhance the entertainment experience for kids and families in the Middle East. The inclusion of Hey Duggee on MBC3 channel strengthens our commitment to providing exceptional content that teaches valuable lessons in a fun and accessible way, and is accessible both in digital and linear.”
Tareq Al-Ibrahim, Director of Content at Shahid, added: “Shahid’s exciting kids’ library stands out thanks to the richness of its educational and entertaining content, while also ensuring a trusted and safe viewing experience for families across the Arab world. Today, with the launch of BBC Kids, we are bringing more globally renowned and award-winning content to the Middle East and North Africa through Shahid and MBC Group’s channels.”
He continued: “We’re excited to add a plethora of titles online, bringing over 200 hours of new kids’ content to Shahid. We’re always looking to add the best value and experiences for our important young viewers!”
BBC Kids, an ad-free video destination exclusively available to Shahid subscribers, features all programming with Arabic dubbing. This digital addition complements the existing CBeebies Pre-school linear channel, enhancing the overall experience for the region’s youngest audience since its introduction in 2016.
