Jerry Seinfeld once said on his talk show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee that “comedy is more personal than food”.
For many Arabs, seeing their personal brand of humour portrayed in the media, in a contemporary way, dealing with many themes of life in the Middle East or in the diaspora, was fairly nonexistent until recently.
This is slowly changing with the rise of comedians in stand-up circuits in America such as Nataly Aukar and Dina Hashem, or to a more international level with comics Ramy Youssef and Mo Amer through their respective self-titled shows.
However, there is also a plethora of young Arab comedians on social media, gaining followers and attention in the region and further afield thanks to their comedic stylings.
Here are just a few that explore Arabness in its many forms, from the cliche to niche, all while making us laugh.
Nasser Al-Rayess
Arab-American comedian Nasser Al-Rayess, who has dubbed himself the Shawarma King, has gained a following of more than 44,000 on Instagram for his honest commentary on pop culture and news along with observational humour on identity and skits based on popular Arab music.
Maya Hussein
Relatable, wholesome and entertaining, Maya Hussein has gone viral and gained one million followers on TikTok for her short videos depicting scenarios featuring Arab parents and their children — all of which are played by her.
The Lebanese-Canadian has created a larger-than-life Arab mum character filled with all the immigrant mother tropes. It plays into stereotypes, but it's also relatable and funny.
Feed Mureed
Through simple, well filmed and clever videos, Feed Mureed makes us cackle without using much dialogue. Instead, he focuses on well-paced build-ups and strong punchlines in his situational comedy videos.
Mostly in Arabic, Mureed’s videos touch on themes of married life and the everyday.
Shawn Chidiac
While at times controversial for his impressions, that to some highlight stereotypes of particular cultures, there is no denying that Shawn Chidiac, known as myparents_are_divorced on Instagram, is a chameleon of characters. His range of characters shows off his real talent of being able to imitate almost any accent from the region.
From the Persian personal trainer to the Egyptian motivational speaker, Chidiac’s short skits based around giving advice or doing something as banal as grocery shopping are bound to make you laugh.
Coffee Break LB
Coffee Break LB, made up of the comedic duo Nadyn Chalhoub and Nathalie Masri, offers a satirical take on life in Lebanon from the perspective of two friends.
Often facing the camera, their skits range from writing the lyrics to a new national anthem that reflects the current state of their country, to conversations on robbing banks and writing emails to media outlets about their political coverage. Their witty, organic conversations are also funny and ironic.
Abdallah Jasim
Iraqi comedian Abdallah Jasim is especially gifted at imitating different Arabic accents, but has perfected taking mainstream topics, from films to celebrities, and giving them his own hilarious Arab spin.
From an Arab Harry Potter, Johnny Depp and Arnold Schwarzenegger to his own character, the over-enthusiastic Abu Jasim, you’re bound to have come across one of his hilarious videos.
Hadeel Marei
It’s not difficult to see why Egyptian Hadeel Marei is one of the most-followed comedians across YouTube and Instagram, with more than one million subscribers on each platform and on TikTok with more than three million followers and 45.1 million likes.
It’s very simple: she is incredibly funny. Her videos are mostly in Egyptian Arabic, but Marei’s comedy, while not character-driven, is diverse and creative. She takes everyday issues such as your laptop never being able to connect to a printer or a visit to a therapist and adds her own twist, be it blunt, bizarre or unexpected.
Mohanad AlHattab
One of the most popular young Arab comedians on social media, Syrian Mohanad AlHattab delights and entertains with his range of recurring characters from the Arab world and his recreations of funny, viral moments from Arabic pop culture.
His characters include a conservative Khaleeji woman, an Egyptian personal trainer or Sameeha the Egyptian influencer.
AlHattab’s comedic talents have gained him more than 700,000 followers on Instagram and over 10 million likes on TikTok.
Bloggerwanabe
One of the most consistently entertaining online comediennes is Blogger Wana Be, whose name might be Sarah Grey, or that might be a persona she’s created to take dry wit to another level.
Exploring themes around dating, Arab parents and contemporary millennial life, Blogger Wana Be’s brand of sarcastic wit and delivery is authentic and entertaining. Her spoof of the Netflix original reality show Dubai Bling is particularly funny.
Mai's Vault
Egyptian-American comedienne and video content creator Mai has become incredibly popular online for having conversations with her mother and creating videos of them. Whether commenting on the generational and cultural gap between them, seeking marriage advice or simply pranking her mother, Mai’s content is wholesome, fun and funny.
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
More on Quran memorisation:
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,000mm, Winners: Mumayaza, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winners: Sharkh, Pat Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep - Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Harrab, Ryan Curatolo, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Gold Cup - Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nibras Passion, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ismail Mohammed
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
More on Quran memorisation:
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
