The rise of Fulla, who is skilfully marketed by her Syrian creators, New Boy
Toys, has aroused mixed feelings across the Middle East.
Many Arab parents are happy to see a local girl take on and defeat the might of
Western myth-making. But some worry that Barbie, with her independent lifestyle
and wide range of jobs, is giving way to a new role model who hides her hair
and figure and - judging from the slick adverts on Arabic satellite TV - has
little to do but shop, hang out with her friends, Yasmeen (suspiciously blonde)
and Nadia (a coppery redhead), or pray on her optional prayer mat.
As for romantic prospects, Fulla has no male friends at all, "though she might
have angry brothers", as one joke has it.
Fulla's role in shaping expectations is undoubtedly a selling point for some
conservative Muslim parents.
"Fulla is one of us but Barbie is still a stranger," says Mohammed al-Sabbagh,
a manager at Space Toon, Damascus's leading toy store.
"Fulla is my sister, my wife, my mother. She comes from the same culture. The
other thing for me, as a parent, is about what I want for my child. Barbie has
a boyfriend and a bikini and so on, which is not our style in the Middle East."
New Boy's Western-style aspirational TV advertising has created a profitable
buzz among little girls across the region, who - like their Western
counterparts - compete to be first in the playground with the latest spin-off
product.
For the vast majority, questions of religion and modesty play no conscious role
in their choice of toy. Yasmin Bakr, 7, who comes from a liberal,
non-hijab-wearing family in the Palestinian town of Ramallah, has Barbie and
Fulla dolls. But if she had to choose between them, she would hold on to Fulla.
"Because she's nice. She looks nice, everything. I like her face so much."
Both dolls are of very similar size and construction, and some are even
manufactured by the same subcontractor in China.
So successful is the Fulla range, selling more than 1.3 million dolls at about
$20 each, that it has already spawned a Chinese knock-off, Fulah, sold in near
identical packaging.
Fulla's connection with Syria - still at war with Israel - prevents formal
distribution in Israeli-controlled areas like East Jerusalem, although they can
sometimes be found in toyshops there.
Across the city, the three toy stores in West Jerusalem's Malcha Mall do not
sell Fulla dolls at all.
