Get ready for laughter.
The inaugural Abu Dhabi Comedy Week is set to take place at Etihad Arena, beginning on Saturday and running until May 26 with a stellar line-up of comedians.
Here's a guide about what to know before going, who's playing and what time the shows start.
No phones and no cash
Ahead of the first show, organisers are advising guests not to bring electronics, as the event will be a phone-free experience. This means the use of phones, smartwatches and accessories will not be permitted. Anyone seen using a device during the performance will be escorted out of the venue.
For those who bring any smart devices, they will be placed in a locked, secure pouch for the duration of the show and will only be unlocked once the event is over. Visitors are also advised to print out their tickets for faster entry and to carry credit cards, as the venue is cashless and Apple Pay or Google Pay will not be accepted.
So with that out of the way, here's who will be performing and when they will take to the stage.
Aziz Ansari
When: May 18 at 8pm
Ansari, known for his role in the hit series Parks and Recreation as well as his Emmy-winning Netflix show Master of None, will begin the comedy festival. In 2016, he made history as the first Indian-American actor to land a lead comedy-acting Emmy nomination.
Tommy Tiernan and Kevin Bridges
When: May 19 at 8pm
Tiernan is an Irish stand-up comic best known for playing Gerry in the British sitcom Derry Girls. He also hosts The Tommy Tiernan Show, where he has to interview guests but doesn't know who they are until they come out meaning it is all done on the fly.
Meanwhile, Scottish comic Bridges has four stand-up specials to his name, including 2018's The Brand New Tour. He is also a repeat guest on British TV shows such as Would I Lie to You and Have I Got News for You. He has also performed on Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow.
Bad Friends: Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee
When: May 21 at 8pm
The pair are behind the popular podcast Bad Friends. They are known for their unique blend of humour, honesty and unfiltered banter. Bringing The Bad Friends Live Show to Abu Dhabi, expect unpredictable antics and behind-the-scenes stories from the duo's lives and careers. There will also be special guests, interactive segments and opportunities for audience participation.
Andrew Schulz
When: May 22 at 8pm
A New York native, Schulz is known for unfiltered comedy that is geared and customised for the city he is performing in. He has sold out arenas on his US tour and was in Abu Dhabi in October to perform as part of UFC 294 Showdown Week. Schulz also hosts popular podcasts Flagrant and The Brilliant Idiots and stars in the comedy mini-series Schulz Saves America on Netflix.
Dave Chappelle
When: May 23 at 8pm
Dave Chappelle, one of the biggest names in comedy, is coming to the UAE capital for the first time. He previously played two sold-out shows in Dubai in 2015 and 2018. The seasoned comedian is known for his razor-sharp wit and fearless approach to comedy, garnering public discussion and sold-out crowds in seemingly equal measure. An actor and stand-up star in the 1990s, he rose to international fame with his ground-breaking sketch comedy series Chappelle's Show, which aired from 2003 to 2006.
Bassem Youssef and Maz Jobrani
When: May 24 at 8pm
An Egyptian surgeon-turned-comedian, Youssef has been in the global spotlight recently thanks to his viral interviews with Piers Morgan on the Israel-Gaza war. Their first, which was posted on YouTube on October 18, has been viewed millions of times. Morgan said it was his most-watched interview since his show was launched two years ago.
American comedian Jobrani, who is of Iranian origin, has appeared on popular shows including Grey’s Anatomy, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Shameless. He's no stranger to the UAE, having performed at many venues across the country. He also starred as the title character in the award-winning indie comedy film Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, which he co-wrote and co-produced.
Tom Segura
When: May 25 at 6pm
The American stand-up comedian is best known for his observational and often dark comedy style. Segura has released several stand-up specials on platforms like Netflix, including Completely Normal, Mostly Stories, Disgraceful, and Ball Hog.
In addition to his stand-up career, Segura co-hosts the popular podcast Your Mom's House with his wife and fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky. The podcast covers a wide range of topics, including current events, personal stories, and humorous commentary on internet culture. In July 2022, he released his New York Times bestselling book, I’d Like To Play Alone, Please.
Chris Tucker
When: May 25 at 9.30pm
Tucker was last in Abu Dhabi in 2013 when he performed two shows. He is best known for his role in the Rush Hour film series alongside Jackie Chan. However, it was his trademark squeaky voice and celebrity impersonations that made him a regular performer in the Def Comedy Jam television series in the early 1990s. His career is marked by his dynamic comedic style, which combines rapid-fire delivery, physical comedy and a knack for impersonations.
Joy Ko
When: May 26 at 8pm
Koy, a regular performer in the UAE, is known for his relatable comedy, pulling inspiration from his family. From his modest beginnings performing in a Las Vegas coffee house, he is now one of the top names in comedy, with four Netflix specials, an autobiography and a Billboard No 1 for his stand-up comedy album, Live From Seattle.
More information at etihadarena.ae
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Champion%20v%20Champion%20(PFL%20v%20Bellator)
%3Cp%3EHeavyweight%3A%20Renan%20Ferreira%20v%20Ryan%20Bader%20%3Cbr%3EMiddleweight%3A%20Impa%20Kasanganay%20v%20Johnny%20Eblen%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%3A%20Jesus%20Pinedo%20v%20Patricio%20Pitbull%3Cbr%3ECatchweight%3A%20Ray%20Cooper%20III%20v%20Jason%20Jackson%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EShowcase%20Bouts%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHeavyweight%3A%20Bruno%20Cappelozza%20(former%20PFL%20World%20champ)%20v%20Vadim%20Nemkov%20(former%20Bellator%20champ)%3Cbr%3ELight%20Heavyweight%3A%20Thiago%20Santos%20(PFL%20title%20contender)%20v%20Yoel%20Romero%20(Bellator%20title%20contender)%3Cbr%3ELightweight%3A%20Clay%20Collard%20(PFL%20title%20contender)%20v%20AJ%20McKee%20(former%20Bellator%20champ)%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%3A%20Gabriel%20Braga%20(PFL%20title%20contender)%20v%20Aaron%20Pico%20(Bellator%20title%20contender)%3Cbr%3ELightweight%3A%20Biaggio%20Ali%20Walsh%20(pro%20debut)%20v%20Emmanuel%20Palacios%20(pro%20debut)%3Cbr%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20Lightweight%3A%20Claressa%20Shields%20v%20Kelsey%20DeSantis%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%3A%20Abdullah%20Al%20Qahtani%20v%20Edukondal%20Rao%3Cbr%3EAmateur%20Flyweight%3A%20Malik%20Basahel%20v%20Vinicius%20Pereira%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
