Ahlan Simsim

Production

The series was announced in 2016 and received a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation in 2017. Outreach programs began in 2018.

The first season debuted in February 2020; season three premiered on 28 February 2021, and season four in fall 2021. Funding also comes from the LEGO Foundation and a $20 million USAID grant from July 2021. The show is produced in Amman, Jordan, by Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee.

Characters

Human cast members include Salma (Mariam Amer), Hadi (Rami Delshad), and Teta Noor, Hadi’s mother. Animated characters include Abu'l Fihim (Jawad Al Shakarji), birds Bulbul, Hasoon, and Reesheh, and a trio of Dabke dancers.

The original Muppets are Basma (Hind Jaal), a purple monster; Jad (Nowar Mahayri), a yellow monster; and Ma'zooza (Fatimah Amayreh), a baby goat. Season five introduced Ameera, an eight-year-old girl who uses a wheelchair and crutches. Localized versions of Gargur (Natheer Khawaldeh), Kaaki, and Elmo from Iftah Ya Simsim also appear.

Episodes

Episodes air primarily in Levantine Arabic, with some segments in Modern Standard Arabic; some have been translated into Kurdish. Each episode runs about 25–26 minutes, and as of 2022 the show has six seasons of 26 episodes each. The first half follows Basma and Jad dealing with a problem; the second half includes songs, games, and celebrity guests. Season two introduced number and word of the day segments; season three added a do-it-yourself segment.

Outreach programs

Launched in late 2018 with the International Rescue Committee, the outreach programs provide year-long preschool classes, parenting sessions, and materials for displaced children. In less stable areas, the IRC holds informal play and learning sessions in community centers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, messaging was shared via text messages. The programs are independently evaluated by NYU Global TIES for Children; a June 2023 report found that an 11-week combined in-person and remote program affected children's development on par with a full year of preschool.

Did You Know?

• The show's first season is designed to teach 'the emotional ABCs': how to identify and manage emotions like anger, anxiety, compassion, fear, frustration, determination, jealousy, loneliness, and sadness.
• Ameera, introduced in season five, uses a boxy, more outdated wheelchair to reflect that displaced children in the region are often unable to access new mobility aids.
• In 2021, Ahlan Simsim was nominated in the Kids: Factual & Entertainment category for the International Emmy Kids Awards, marking the first time a Jordanian program had received a nomination for the award.
• A June 2023 study found that Jordanian children who had been exposed to the show at school every day for three months showed improvements in identifying and regulating emotions.