How to make an Arabic story video with AI (قصة بالعربية)
To make an Arabic story video with AI, pick a public-domain folk tale such as a Juha story, retell it in simple Modern Standard Arabic so children across the Arab world understand it, add diacritics only on the few words that could be misread, and fix one look per character. Set the language to Arabic, narrate with a warm storyteller voice, and end on a one-line lesson spoken and shown on screen.
- Arabic narration and right-to-left captions are generated from the same Arabic script.
- An 8-scene story costs 19 credits with still images and 107 with AI motion on every scene.
- 90 seconds suits an 8-scene folk tale; 3 minutes is the longest length on every plan.
- George is the catalog's warm, captivating storyteller voice; like every voice, it narrates Arabic.
- 3D render and Watercolor are gentle styles for children's tales.
Why Juha is a good place to start
Juha (جحا) is the comic wise fool of Arabic folklore, and his tales are told from Morocco to Iraq; Turkish and Persian traditions have a close cousin in Nasreddin. The stories are short, funny, have a single twist and usually end on a line people already quote. That is exactly the shape of a good 90-second video.
They are old oral folklore, so you can retell them freely in your own words. The same goes for animal fables from Kalila wa Dimna and tales from One Thousand and One Nights. What you cannot use are characters from modern Arabic cartoons or dubbed foreign shows.
For children, tell the tale in simple standard Arabic. It is the Arabic of school storybooks, it is understood in every Arab country, and its spelling is fixed, so the voice reads it reliably.
Characters (3D render style)
جُحا (Juha)
A good-natured older man, a little foolish on the surface and wise underneath. Smiles more than he argues.
Visual prompt: 3D render of a cheerful older Arab man with a short grey beard, a tall rounded light-brown cap, a striped green and cream robe and a gentle smile, warm children's animation look.
ابن جحا (Juha's son)
About ten, curious, embarrassed by what people say, learns the lesson by the end.
Visual prompt: 3D render of a ten-year-old boy with short curly black hair, a plain white robe and brown sandals, big expressive eyes, warm children's animation look.
الحمار (the donkey)
Small, patient and grey, with a red woven saddle blanket. Reacts to every comment with a sigh.
Visual prompt: 3D render of a small grey donkey with long soft ears and a red woven saddle blanket, patient half-closed eyes, warm children's animation look.
Sample script: جحا وابنه والحمار (90 seconds, 8 scenes)
8 scenes · about 90 seconds
Scene 1
خرج جُحا وابنه إلى السوق، ومعهما حمارهما الصغير. ركب جحا، ومشى الابن بجانبه.
Visual: 3D render: a dusty village road toward a distant market, the older man in a striped robe riding the small grey donkey, the boy walking beside, bright morning.
On screen: جحا وابنه والحمار
Scene 2
مرّا بجماعة من الناس، فقالوا: انظروا! الأب مرتاح، والولد الصغير يمشي في الحرّ!
Visual: 3D render: a group of villagers under a tree pointing and whispering, the boy looking down shyly, the donkey sighing.
Scene 3
فنزل جحا وأركب ابنه. وبعد قليل قال آخرون: يا له من ولد! يركب ويترك أباه الكبير يمشي!
Visual: 3D render: now the boy riding the donkey and the older man walking, two women at a well shaking their heads disapprovingly.
Scene 4
فركب الاثنان معًا. فصاح رجل: مسكين هذا الحمار! تحمّلانه فوق طاقته!
Visual: 3D render: father and son both on the little donkey, its legs wobbling comically, a merchant with a cart throwing up his hands.
Scene 5
نزل الاثنان ومشيا بجانب الحمار. فضحك الناس: حمارٌ مرتاح، وصاحباه يمشيان؟ ما أغربهما!
Visual: 3D render: father and son walking beside the unburdened donkey near the market gate, children laughing and pointing at them.
Scene 6
توقّف جحا، ونظر إلى ابنه، وابتسم.
Visual: 3D render: close-up of the older man stopping in the road and smiling warmly down at his confused son, soft light, quiet moment.
Scene 7
قال: يا بُنَيَّ، جرّبنا كل طريقة، ولم يرضَ أحد. رضا الناس غايةٌ لا تُدرَك.
Visual: 3D render: the man kneeling to the boy's height with a hand on his shoulder, the donkey looking on, the busy market blurred behind them.
On screen: رضا الناس غايةٌ لا تُدرَك
Scene 8
فافعل ما تراه صوابًا، بلطفٍ ورحمة، ولا تجعل كلام كل مارٍّ يقودك. ثم ركب الابن، ومشى جحا، وأكملا الطريق مبتسمَين.
Visual: 3D render: the boy riding happily and the man walking alongside into the colourful market, both smiling, warm afternoon glow, calm ending.
English translation
1. Juha and his son set off for the market with their little donkey. Juha rode, and his son walked beside him. 2. They passed a group of people, who said: look! The father takes it easy while the little boy walks in the heat! 3. So Juha got down and put his son on the donkey. Soon others said: what a boy! He rides and leaves his old father to walk! 4. So they both rode together. A man shouted: poor donkey! You are loading it beyond its strength!
5. They both got down and walked beside the donkey. People laughed: a donkey at ease and its owners walking? How odd they are! 6. Juha stopped, looked at his son and smiled. 7. He said: my dear son, we have tried every way and no one was pleased. Pleasing everyone is a goal that can never be reached. 8. So do what you think is right, with kindness and mercy, and don't let every passer-by's words lead you. Then the son rode, Juha walked, and they went on their way smiling.
Where diacritics earn their place in this script
| Word as written | Possible readings without marks | Why it is marked |
|---|---|---|
| جُحا | Juha, or a mispronounced vowel | The hero's name must sound the same in every scene |
| بُنَيَّ | بُنَيَّ (my dear son), بَنِي (sons of), بُنِيَ (was built) | Only the first makes sense here, and the voice needs the hint |
| لا تُدرَك | لا تُدرَك (cannot be reached) or لا تُدرِك (you do not reach) | It is the moral line shown on screen; it must be read as the saying |
Telling a Juha tale for children
- Repeat the structure, change the detail. Here the same thing happens four times with a new complaint each time; children enjoy predicting it.
- Give the crowd short, quotable lines. They are the jokes, and each one fits on a single caption cue.
- Keep Juha kind. In some versions he is mocked or loses something; for young children, let him be the calm one who explains.
- Use يا بُنَيَّ or يا ولدي for the father talking to the son. It sounds affectionate and is easy to say.
- End on the saying the story is famous for, with diacritics, as on-screen text. Parents often recognise it and share the video for that line.
- Voice: George for a classic storyteller, Elli for a softer bedtime version, Brian if you want a deeper grandfather feel.
More public-domain Arabic tales for story videos
- مسمار جحا (Juha's nail): Juha sells his house but keeps one nail in the wall, and keeps visiting it. A gentle lesson about small loopholes.
- جحا والقدر (Juha and the cooking pot): a borrowed pot "gives birth" to a small pot, and later "dies". A funny lesson about believing only what suits you.
- From Kalila wa Dimna: the clever hare who leads a bullying lion to a well, where the lion attacks his own reflection.
- From One Thousand and One Nights: the voyages of Sindbad, retold as short adventure episodes for older children.
- Folk tales from your own country or family, retold in your own words.
Note: If children are the audience, mark the video as made for kids when you upload it to YouTube. Keep crowd scenes friendly: in a kids' version, people tease Juha, they don't threaten him.
FAQ
Questions people ask next
Should an Arabic kids' story be in standard Arabic or dialect?
Simple Modern Standard Arabic is the safest choice for children: it is understood in every Arab country and matches school books. A dialect version can feel warmer for a local audience; preview it carefully, since dialect spelling varies and the voice may misread words.
Is it allowed to use Juha stories on YouTube?
Juha tales are traditional folklore, so retelling them in your own words is fine. Don't copy the script, drawings or music of a modern book, series or cartoon about Juha; create your own version and characters.
How long should an Arabic story video be?
60 to 90 seconds for a Short, with six to eight scenes. For a full story on a regular YouTube channel, up to 3 minutes in 16:9. Split longer tales such as Sindbad into episodes.
Which visual style suits Arabic folk tales?
3D render for a bright, modern children's look; Watercolor for a picture-book feel; Comic for older kids. Describe clothes and settings in each prompt (robes, sandals, a village market) so the look stays consistent.
Can I make the same story in Arabic and English for a bilingual channel?
Yes. Generate it in Arabic, then again with the language set to English, keeping the same character descriptions and style so both versions belong together.
Can I narrate the story in my own voice?
On Pro and Studio you can clone your own voice and use it to narrate. You cannot clone anyone else's voice.
Sources, checked 30 October 2026:
Platforms change their rules, so check them before you rely on them.
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