There is something urgent in Harib’s voice that makes you feel that he is constantly on his way to somewhere and he is always late. (At the time of the telephone interview, Harib admits to be sitting in his car at the beach, a luxury he has not been able to afford for over three months). The sense of confident elation in his voice is contagious, he reminds me of an explorer that is in a constant state of discovery. “The other day I saw some kids dressed up as one of our characters, they were even reciting poetry. Into year three and I still haven’t absorbed the power that Freej has over Arab society,” he enthuses. A chill runs up and back down my spine. Here is a thirty-year-old man who holds the Arab animation world in the palm of his hand thanks to Umm Khammas, Umm Allawi, Umm Saeed and Umm Saloom.
Harib is, evidently, more down to earth than my own somewhat hyperbolic notions of power, “There was a vacuum you see in the world of animation in this region and it needed to be filled and I did it al hamdullah.” Yes, it was a bit of luck for someone that didn’t complete his degree from Northeastern University in Boston. “Look,” he says with a hint of polite exasperation, “I don’t believe in luck. I mean, people go around saying Mohammed just got lucky but they don’t realise that it took seven years of hard work to bring Freej to life. That’s a long time.”
Cartoons and animation came to Harib as though by providence. Originally wanting to become an architect because he loved drawing and wanted to be part of the UAE boom, he launched himself into animation when, “I realised that I was very good at drawing but completely failed when it came to physics and maths.” Believing that practical training and experience is far more important than academics and not wanting to be in the US in the immediate post-9/11 world, he is three electives shy of a his General Arts & Animation Bachelor degree – not that this man needs a certificate to demonstrate his success. Harib is also the talent between behind the logo of the Dubai International Film Festival and creative overlord of premier brands Dubai Media City, Internet City, Knowledge Village and Studio City.
The idea for the show came to him when a professor asked Harib to come up with an Arab superhero, of which there were many recalls the young cartoonist and ceo of this spellbinding enterprise. He’s right, there is Aladdin and the whole familiar cast of 1001 Arabian Nights. “That was too boring. My professor challenged me to come up with something more topical and more in keeping with my culture. And when I looked back to my childhood there was one person that stood out more than others as heroic: my maternal grandmother,” he says. Interestingly, if Harib could choose a superpower it would be to forget, a trait he has infused into the amiable Umm Saloom.
Yes, but how are they super? I ask trying not to imagine my own grandmother in red hot pants with a villain expertly lassoed thanks to her bionic rope. Not missing a beat Harib says, “Superheroes have changed. We like them to be flawed, to be more human. These women certainly are but they also face the challenge of adapting to a fast-changing city.” Yes, of course, Dubai is a supercity after all. “Freej is actually the local slang for Hara or neighbourhood. It represents my old culture when pearl-diving and not business was the local trade. And I think people throughout the region really identify with that. And plus, it allows for so much humour which is the best communicator.”
Funny you should say, what is the most amusing thing you have ever heard? “You know when [US President] George W. Bush came to Dubai on his Middle East trip. Well, we were all given the day off and not told why. All the roads were closed so we had to stay at home. We were so surprised that everyone just started wishing everybody else ‘Happy Bush Day,’” he imparts with a chuckle.
From Dawn Until Dawn
11am-4pm: Late Start
“I am not a morning person,” says Harib. “I typically wake up at 11am and I am at the office by about 12noon.” His day is a whirlwind of meetings with various departments, from marketing to graphics. Not being an office person, because he dislikes the formality so much, Harib enjoys studio work.
5pm – 1am: Creative Leap
“This is my favourite part of the day. I love being in the studio with all that comes with it.” This precious period during the day is relegated to script-checking, meeting with the talent and recording. A man driven by creativity, he spends as much time as possible actually doing the hands on work that brings together the 15-minute comic revelry that is Freej.
1am – 3am: Late End
Since Harib’s days are not typical, you will often find him smoking shisha with his friends just to unwind after a hard day with the “four grandmothers that I am married to,” he says, only half-joking. The production of the local animation show curiously means that Harib travels extensively – the animation takes place in India – he spends most of his time unwinding in his hotel room, watching CNN or Discovery.
Harib’s Two Cents
Hero “Right now it is [Lebanese film director] Nadine Labaki. She is amazing and has accomplished a lot. Through her work she has also managed to communicate the positive aspects of our culture to the outside world.
Superhero “Superman but only because he can fly. Other than that I would have to say Umm Saeed who is the blueprint for the four women.”
Collections “I can’t collect anything even if I try to. I have a tendency to lose things. I don’t even wear a watch. But I do love horses and watching horse-racing. My family recently bought a horse so I am happy with that.”
Luxury “You can’t set a price to luxury. It is whatever makes you feel good.”
Wisdom “Follow your dreams and believe in them no matter what people tell you.”
Free-time “In my free time, I like to just do nothing. Can you think of anything better than doing nothing? I can’t.”
