British comedian Rob Beckett is heading to Dubai for a one-off show in March.
The presenter, podcaster and all-round funnyman's show, set to take place on March 26 at Dubai World Trade Centre, is the latest announcement from GME Events and comes hot off the heels of Jack Whitehall's run of sell-out shows at the same venue.
[On stage] is where I'm at my best, so if you thought I was half-funny on the TV, you'll love it, and if you already thought I was really funny, you'll lose your mind
Speaking to The National ahead of the show, Beckett said he can't wait to get back on stage.
“I’ve been to Dubai a couple of times on holiday, but it’s my first time performing there,” he said.
Beckett is a household name in the UK, known for his relatable jokes, large smile and general geezer aura. He has appeared as a guest on Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntyre's Big Show, and is a regular on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Mock The Week.
“I’d say my stuff is definitely relatable to any age, any gender – anyone who comes will get something from it,” he said.
“If you’ve ever enjoyed me on the telly or on a panel show, or even if you’ve thought, ‘I’m not sure about him’, whatever your acceptance was of that, I’m better on stage.
"This is where I’m at my best, so if you thought I was half-funny on the TV, you’ll love it, and if you already thought I was really funny, you’ll lose your mind.”
As with previous shows, the event will follow strict Covid-19 guidelines and tickets will be available to over-21s only. Tickets need to be purchased in groups of two, three, four and six only across all categories.
Tickets, which start from Dh195, are on sale now at the Dubai Calendar App, 800Tickets, Platinum List and all UAE Virgin Megastores.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Company%20profile
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Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
