Manga Productions in Saudi Arabia has announced a special design competition for artists to create potential products for the NEOM emerging region.

The competition was revealed last Wednesday in partnership with NEOM. It will allow artists to design creative solutions for future residents of NEOM, a $500 billion megacity development project on Saudi Arabia's northwest coast.

The competition is open to all drawing enthusiasts between the ages of 13 and 35 in Saudi Arabia and Japan. The three winning designs will be featured in season two of the “Future's Folktales” series in 2022, which will be revealed on April 18. Also, winners will have access to a six-week comprehensive character design course taught by foreign experts.

On Twitter, Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions, said, "At Manga Productions, we believe in the value of inspiring talents and providing opportunities for them to grow their creativity." He went on to say that the competition is part of Saudi Arabia's attempt to export its culture and imagination around the world through the "Future's Folktales" anime series.

The series is the first animated show in Saudi Arabia to link the past with the future. Manga Productions in Saudi Arabia and TOEI Animation in Japan collaborated on the film.

The first season, which consisted of 13 episodes, was released in 2020. It celebrated the diversity of Arabic and Saudi culture, language, heritage, and values. It received 100 million views across 32 websites and networks in Japan, China, Taiwan, Ireland, the UK, and the US.

NEOM will serve as the core location in the second season. Artists are encouraged to envision citizens' lives in a futuristic city in the year 2050 and create unique props such as phones, micro-drones, and gym equipment. Participants in the competition must demonstrate how their devices are innovative and why they are useful. According to Bukhary, the collaboration with NEOM helps Manga Productions to achieve its mission of inspiring future generations to participate in the megacity's growth and create a better future.

The competition's challenge, according to Aisha Al-Maghlouth, a young Saudi artist from the Eastern Province, is encouraging creativity. The competition's concept is brilliant. She told Arab News that it recognizes more than one artistic category at the same time. She is looking forward to seeing the innovative designs, Al-Maghlouth said, adding, that she is ready to be among them.

“NEOM being one of the most important projects in the Kingdom, it’s not surprising that it will be reaching out to local talents to help grow their products, said Mohammed Al-Zabeedi, a Saudi private sector worker.

Such competitions have a variety of goals, but the most important is to assist local talent in contributing to a project designed primarily for Saudis. As per Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's vision, the fruits of which their children will enjoy, and this generation will create it.

“Though it may just be a race to some, Saudi Arabia is moving at a fast rate, the likes of which I've never seen before, and are a part of the optimistic transformation,” said Khalid Al-Zabeedi, 37. The level of openness and outreach is unprecedented, allowing Saudis to shape their destiny.

Every entry will be judged on the artists' ability to communicate their design ideas, as well as their innovation and creativity, overall aesthetic details, and product protection.

Manga Productions, a Misk Foundation subsidiary, specializes in producing innovative and optimistic animations, manga comics, and video games. The company is a leader in creating artistic content, delivering groundbreaking products to help young creatives realize their dreams.