Amin Abbas

DUBAI: Mangaya, the first Manga Café in Dubai, is a place where people can read their favorite manga, buy their favorite anime and manga merchandise, and enjoy eating snacks and drinking beverages in the same place.

Mangaya is also considered a hub for all UAE anime, manga, and comic fans in the region, offering them a huge selection of comic books and manga while giving the best possible customer service.

Fatma Altamimi, Co-Owner and Mangaya Store Manager, shared exclusively with Arab News Japan the story and challenges for establishing the store, saying, “The journey started as a personal passion, as I’m a big fan of Japanese animation. I watched Arabic-dubbed anime series in my childhood and then went deep into Japanese culture, where I discovered many things about Japan that I had no knowledge about in the past, including manga. After graduation from university, I set up shop with my sisters, who are also fans of anime, and we decided to open a store where people can find their favorite manga series and relax and enjoy it with other friends.”

“We launched Mangaya last May, and I made the drawings of the characters around the café to make it feel like a real escape for manga fans in the UAE. Thankfully, we are the only place so far in the UAE that brings specific physical manga series to the people upon their requests,” she shared. 

“One of the challenges that we are facing these days is following the regulations of the ‘Media Regulatory Office’ in the UAE for the ratings of the manga, where things in some manga series are different from novels, and that’s effecting the category rate for each manga series. Some places are selling manga stories for kids who are coming with their parents and paying for them, but in our store we don’t sell manga for children because many contents in the manga are not appropriate for them, and we have to be clear in clarifying the content for the people who want to buy the manga that is suitable for them,” she added.

About distinguishing Mangaya from other stores in the UAE, Altamimi said, “Our place is a hub where all anime and manga enthusiasts can relax, set together, and have discussions about their favorite characters and stories, as well as other activities such as drawings, building model kits, and more.”

“Many people who came to Mangaya so far were very pleased, and they are looking forward to supporting us in many ways,” she added.

Regarding Mangaya’s upcoming plans, Altamimi said, “We are planning to support talents in the Middle East region who have amazing stories to tell to the audience because this kind of culture is still not that well known in the region and it needs to be more highlighted than before because other places around the world have made huge steps in supporting talents in the manga and entertainment industry overall.”