Live plays, musicals and gigs may be off the calendar for the time being, but virtual curtains are set to raise on a new series of comedy nights.
Ticket company BookMyShow has teamed up with UAE talent agency Comic On Nights to create a weekly online stand-up series, named Ha Ha Ha-bibi.
The concept will bring some well-known comedians' best sets to screens, with shows streamed via video-conferencing app Zoom.
Headline acts already confirmed to take part include Indian comedian and actor Vir Das and Indian stand-up Amit Tandon. Das, who played a sold-out show at Dubai Opera earlier this year, will kick off the series on Thursday, May, 28. The comedian, who has also starred in films including Delhi Belly and Badmaash Company, had his own Netflix stand-up special, Abroad Understanding, in 2017. He has also appeared in sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and starred in 2019 comedy-drama Whiskey Cavalier.
The hour-long shows will begin weekly at 8.30pm, and virtual tickets cost Dh30 – though early-bird tickets are currently on sale for Dh25.
The Thursday, June 4, show will feature a set from comedian and writer Jeeveshu Ahluwalia, while former Microsoft employee turned comedian Anshu Mor will perform on Thursday, June 11.
Tandon, meanwhile, will headline the Thursday, June 18, show. The comedian, who uses the moniker "The Married Guy", is known for his observational approach, and featured in Netflix's 2019 Comedians of the World series.
Ha Ha Ha-bibi follows on from BookMyShow's Live at HQ online series, which featured 30-minute shows from the likes of Imran Al Aradi, Momos and Abz Ali.
Tickets are available at bookmyshow.com/dubai/events
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
