Iftah Ya Simsim
Iftah Ya Simsim (; meaning "Open Sesame") is the first international co-production of the American children's television series "Sesame Street" created in the Arab world. It premiered in Kuwait on September 14, 1979 and was broadcast in 22 Arabic-speaking countries, running until April 6, 1990. The program continued to be well-known decades after it went off the air. In 1978, educators, mass media officers, and social planners agreed to adopt "Sesame Street" as a feasible and economical solution for the low attendance in preschools and illiteracy that plagued the region. They approached the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), the producers of the American show, and purchased the rights to create an Arab version for US$2.5 million.
Iftah Ya Simsim
The cast of Muppet performers included a variety of Arab performers who were trained and chosen by Sesame Street to play the shows loveable characters: 
Playing the role of No’man in both season one and two is Saudi Arabian actor and entertainer Abdullah Kassem who's passion for acting is beyond words. He has over 15 years of experience in the field of children’s theatre across painting, acting, directing and scriptwriting, with all his work certified by the Ministry of Culture and Information, Saudi Arabia. Abdullah is the founder of a media and production company specialized in producing edutainment programs for children. Abdullah plans to further explore the world of animation and start producing animated films.
Abdullah is one of the main human characters on Iftah Ya Simsim, playing the role of Rashid as well as the puppeteering of Elmo. He started acting in 2013, playing the role of Fares in the short series "Mawta Yamshoun Baynana.” Along with his work on Iftah Ya Simsim, he is set to be an official voice actor for an upcoming Arabic Anime series. Abdullah is very passionate about animation and aims to be a pioneer in the industry. In his free time, he enjoys reading and singing. He is also very active on social media.
Ammar is a professional puppeteer, puppet builder, creative content developer and voice actor from Saudi Arabia. He is the creative content manager and the master puppeteer at Bidaya Media Company, the producers of Iftah Ya Simsim, and is the muppet performer of Ka’aki (Cookie Monster) and Gargour (Grover). He also voices a variety of muppet characters that includes Badr (Bert), Addad (Count Von Count) and one half of the Two Headed Monster. Ammar is the founder of 31 Workshop, and is also a designer, creative consultant and lecturer. Previously, Ammar specialized in design solutions both locally and internationally since 2001 across urban, architecture and graphic design. Because of his childhood passion for the world of puppetry, Ammar has worked on designing, building and operating multiple puppet characters, which are used today through 31 Workshop in the production of live performances and media segments. He was also mentored by Muppet performer Marty Robinson and trained under several professional muppet performers like Matt Vogel, Peter Linz and Michael Earl. 
Asma is a professional Emirati puppeteer, storyteller and creative drama specialist. A graduate of the United Arab Emirates University, Asma earned her BA in English Literature, minoring in drama and theater. Through a Summer Master’s Degree Program in Applied Drama at the City University of New York, Asma distinguished herself as a creative drama specialist, with a focus on puppetry and early childhood education. This led her to be chosen by the Zayed Higher Organization in 2012 to work with children with special needs. As a result of her training with the ‘Kids on the Block’ program, which uses special puppets crafted with different disabilities, Asma has opened up a new field of early childhood intervention; one that uses the dynamics of puppetry and creative drama to enhance education for the most impressionable audience in the UAE.
Maher showcased his vocal talent from an early age, imitating celebrities and people around him. An actor with a passion for the theatre, he has starred in more than 30 international stage plays, with an extensive portion of his work dedicated to children and their development. Maher also wrote most of the songs performed in these plays. Maher has also starred in a number of TV series across the region.
Playing the role of multiple Muppets, Michel started working in 2003 after finishing his studies in dubbing with a focus on scientific documentary films, animation, corporate videos & TV commercials. Michel then worked with two radio stations in Syria as a host and a freelance voiceover artist. Michel has attended many workshops about children’s television programs throughout his career and currently hosts a TV Show for children.