Iftah Ya Simsim
The show focused on Arab heritage, like the wedding rituals of countries in the region, and included Arab poems and songs. "Iftah Ya Simsim" premiered in Kuwait in September 1979, and was broadcast in all Arabic-speaking countries excluding Egypt. The show's opening consisted of a catchy tune that became beloved of its young viewers. As the song played, the opening footage showed children across the Arab world running past familiar landmarks like the Pyramids and playing in playgrounds and ancient alleyways before running into a white fort that had its gates open wide. The show's set consisted of an intricately traditional Arabian neighborhood called "Sharee Eshreen" (20th Street).
Iftah Ya Simsim
In late 2013, fifteen writers and producers from Bidaya Media attended training about its education methodology and production techniques from the staff of the American show in New York. The "Saudi Gazette" reported that "Iftah Ya Simsim" was in pre-production in March 2014, and that the first phase of auditions took place in April 2014, after, according to Al-Sharhan, a year of designing the show, "with input from child development experts, educators and cultural consultants". A casting call for a competitive search of performers specializing in puppeteering, voice, singing, and movement was sent to universities, theaters, and cultural centers in Abu Dhabi, where it was filmed, and through social media. They cast Arabic-speaking performers, although no prior acting experience was required. Dina al Saleh, a puppeteer from "Alam Simsim", the Egyptian co-production, screened the first group of candidates, and then the final cast of seven puppeteers were chosen after ten days of workshops, which the "Saudi Gazette" called ""master level training" with Marty Robinson and other Sesame Workshop puppeteers from New York. According to an editorial in "The National", the new version of the show was significant because it encouraged Emiratis and other Arabs to become more involved in filmmaking and, more importantly, it focused on "locally relevant Arabic-language content that will seek to educate present and future generations".