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.
Sinim
Some scholars have claimed that Sinim is a variant name for not-so-distant Phoenicia. However, it is notable that Isaiah writes "[T]hese shall come from far; and lo, these from the north and the west; and these from the land of Sinim". This seems to indicate that these people did not live in the north or the west. Isaiah lived in the 8th-7th century B.C. and Phoenicia existed during this period, lying directly west of Judah and Israel. Isaiah would have been familiar with this region, its name and location, so unless he is using some euphemism, it would seem Phoenicia is not a good candidate.