Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 hits theaters in Middle East

Saudi animation veteran Malik Nejer, who supervised the Arabic version, said selecting different dialects for rival clans helped newcomers navigate a world rooted in Chinese folklore.

"Many Arab viewers don't know Chinese mythology," he told Xinhua News Agency. "So we matched each on-screen tribe with a distinct Arabic dialect. It guides the audience through the plot and mirrors the linguistic diversity of our own region."

He also said that when concepts had no exact equivalent, the team searched for cultural parallels, "letting viewers feel an instant connection".