Dubai Culture Launches AED 2 Million Emirati Animation Competition

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority has launched ‘Stories of Wulfa’, a competition offering AED 2 million to develop and produce an original animated series inspired by Emirati culture and values.

The winning project will be developed into a 15-episode series, with each episode running for around 20 minutes, as part of the wider Season of Wulfa initiative.

Applications are open from September 7th to November 15th, 2026, with submissions invited from writers, illustrators, directors, designers, filmmakers, independent creatives, animation studios, production companies and multidisciplinary teams from the UAE, the region and internationally.

Entries are expected to reflect ideas of belonging, family connection and Emirati cultural heritage, while also presenting a clear creative direction and strong potential for broadcast.

Proposals will be assessed on storytelling quality, cultural authenticity, originality, visual direction, character development, relevance to Emirati culture and production readiness.

Applicants must submit an outline of the series concept and themes, target audience, educational and cultural value, episode synopses, a full script for the first episode and samples demonstrating animation capability.