MBC’s Shahid platform has aggressively acquired anime and Western cartoons, dubbing them locally. Cartoon Network’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, launched Max (formerly HBO Max). However, the rollout of Max in the MENA region has been slow and fragmented. In many territories, Cartoon Network MENA remains a linear channel propped up by the older generation (ages 30+) who keep it on for their toddlers as "background noise."

Beyond dubbing, Cartoon Network MENA has made meaningful investments in original regional productions and co-productions. These projects provide training pipelines for writers, animators, and directors across the Middle East and North Africa, building an ecosystem that can sustain homegrown IP. The result is programming that features Arab settings, folklore, and contemporary issues in ways that feel familiar and affirming to young viewers.

Some of the popular shows that air on Cartoon Network MENA include:

But the magic wasn't just the censorship; it was the glue .