JEDDAH: Sesame Street’s Treasure Hunt, a live theater educational and entertainment show (iftahya simsim show) was organized by Sesame Workshop of the Gulf Arabic states with the cooperation of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Headline PR in partnership with Panasonic at the premises of Ismail Abu Dawood hall JCCI.

The 3-day show, from Dec. 4 to 6, was presented by the world famous puppet characters, Big Bird, Ernie, Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster and Khokha as their success in bringing the show to Saudi children after a 30-year absence.

400 needy children, orphans of 20 charitable organizations and almost 3,000 students of 6 international schools watched the entertainment and educational programs held in JJCI, said Feras Al-Maddah, executive director of Headline and media and marketing representative for Sesame Workshop for the Gulf Arabic States.

The puppets hunt the ‘treasure’, dramatizing in the process educational messages which included the environment, recycling, water preservation, energy, traffic safety, hygienic habits, respect for parents and older persons in the family, numbers and letters, imagination, creativity and useful information for children of all ages, and their families.

Ali Abdel Khaleq Al-Karni, director-general of the Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States stated that the event was part of the cultural educational activities of Sesame Street Initiative, with the support of the Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States.

He further said the show, including a fun vibrant dialogue among the beloved characters, as well as singing and dancing, on 14 different songs created, which carried educational messages and educational objectives.

It was developed according to the educational methodology of "Sesame Street" by 80 educational experts in the Gulf, in partnership with the Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States.

Al-Maddah expressed pride of Headline in presenting Sesame Street: “All parties had been insisted on providing children and their families an extraordinary show, in order to both entertain and educate.” “The smiles I saw on the face of the children and their parents extremely satisfied me, I have to thank Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, governor of Makkah and Prince Misha’al bin Majed, governor of Jeddah for allowing us to do this program. We promise that in future we will also bring such smiles on children faces with such standard. We also appreciate the keen efforts of the Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States, which strongly supported the return of Sesame Street program,” he added.

Sesame Street is a non-profit organization which is working for the education of the children worldwide and locally. They develop their contents with the help of local educators and with the collaboration of Sesame circle in the regions.