UAE's animation landscape spotlights Emirati talent

Passion may get an artist started, but building a sustainable creative career requires patience, perseverance and a lot of self-discipline, three prolific Arab creators told visitors to the Sharjah Animation and Comics Conference (SACC) on the opening day of the fourth edition of the annual festival on Thursday.

The session featured Emirati filmmaker Fadel AlMheiri, founder and owner of Tent Pictures Productions, and Emirati digital artist and graphic designer Ahmed BaFadhl, alongside Creative Community Manager Almegdad Salih.

During the session Building a Creative Career Across Comics, Animation and Digital Art, the speakers explored the less visible realities of creative work, from finding a niche and choosing the right clients to maintaining consistency and treating creativity as a business, reflecting the growing contribution of Emirati talent to the UAE’s animation, design and visual storytelling landscape.

For AlMheiri, the founder of Tent Pictures Productions FZ LLC, the starting point for anyone entering the creative industry is straightforward: “The first thing I always tell them is to have passion, patience and perseverance,” said the Emirati, who began making films at 14, explaining how he looks for “all three” before someone steps into the field, stressing that enthusiasm alone cannot sustain a demanding creative career.

Fadel then spoke about how his approach to winning clients had evolved with experience. “In the early days, we took on a broad range of projects to establish ourselves and gain a foothold in the industry. Over time, we learnt to identify our strengths and approach clients whose needs aligned with our capabilities,” he said.

For Salih, the route into the creative industry was less conventional. A pharmacist by training, he moved into marketing before exploring opportunities in the wider creative community.

He said ideas could emerge from seemingly ordinary encounters, making attentiveness an important quality for anyone working in a creative field. Even a conversation over coffee could spark an idea or reveal an opportunity. But inspiration must be matched by commercial discipline, he said, particularly when dealing with clients.

A niche is a must

“Aspiring creators want to work for everyone. That's not a great thing. You need to have a certain niche,” he said, urging young creators to create their own signature style, one that’s as distinct as one’s fingerprints.

Emirati civil engineer-turned-graphic designer BaFadhl, who combines various forms of graphic design and digital art, spoke about the discipline required to maintain a creative practice alongside other professional commitments. “As an engineer, drawing daily was hard, but I took up the challenge and did it – a creation a day for 365 days a year,” he said, highlighting the importance of pushing beyond familiar limits to develop one's abilities.

His work now includes photo manipulation, bringing together different techniques to combine real-world imagery with his imagination.

The session at SACC highlighted the less visible side of creative careers, where success depends not only on what artists can produce, but also on how they communicate their value, protect their time and build relationships that allow their work to grow.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) in Aljada from October 22 to 25, the Sharjah Animation and Comics Conference (SACC) will see over 150 activities featuring masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions, film screenings, and live drawing sessions, bringing together animators, comic creators, illustrators, producers, and fans.

In a related development, Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), inaugurated the fourth edition of Sharjah Animation and Comics Conference (SACC 2026) on Thursday at Aljada in Sharjah.

The four-day event brings together more than 70 international artists, creators and industry experts for over 150 activities, including panel discussions, workshops, masterclasses, live performances and film screenings.

Organised by SBA and running until Oct.25, this year’s expanded edition unites animation and comics on a single platform, connecting regional talent with international industry expertise and creating opportunities for professional development, collaboration, co-production and access to global markets.

Ahead of the opening ceremony, Sheikha Bodour toured the conference and visited the Princesses and Heroes exhibition, which features over 100 original and historic drawings from Disney’s best-known animated films, and Arabesque, which is showcasing Arab heritage and folklore through the work of 14 contemporary artists.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter