The Peninsula
DOHA: The three-day Doha Comedy Festival (DCF) starts tomorrow at Qatar National Convention Center, featuring 18 stand-up comedians from Qatar and around the region.
The festival is organised by Social Studios and presented by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) as part of Qatar Summer Festival (QSF) celebrations.
With the success of its first edition last year, the show returns with three times the number of stand-up talents.
Unheard of a few years ago, solo stage comics are gaining popularity across the Middle East, drawing huge crowds in countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Yemen, Lebanon and Jordan.
Popular comics from around the Arab world to feature include Badr Saleh, Fadi Al Shahry, Abdullah Saidan, Wadah Sewar, Ahmed Al Shammari, Ibrahim Khairallah, Mohammed Qaraawi, Rajai Kawas, Abdulrahman Al Shaikhi, Bashar Al Jazzaf, Zaid Al Soudaa, Mouad Alnafii, Mutassem Trabzoni, Nicholas Khoury, Ibrahim Saleh, ‘Shiyyab’, and Qatari talents Hamad Al Amari and Mohammed Al Tamimi.
“Our aim is to boost the entertainment sector in Qatar by sowing the seeds for home-grown talent. Stand-up comedy is inspired by the region’s culture and tradition and bringing together Arab talents from around the Middle East is a way to enrich the viewers’ experience,” said Hamzeh Zaher, Managing Director, at Social Studios.
“Qatar is a pioneer in so many fields and since comedy is a reflection of a society’s reality, DCF seeks to mirror this advancement in the entertainment industry by growing local talent and attracting renowned regional talent. QTA has been a partner in every sense of the word, supporting our growth in every step and we genuinely feel we have been growing with the QSF.”
More Qatari talents will be showcased on the festival’s stage this year, with Mohamed Al Tamimi joining Hamad Al Amari for the first time.
Al Tamimi has performed 18 stand-up shows in Qatar with performances in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia planned for the coming period. “My routine will revolve around my daily personal situations in Qatar as a result of my interaction with a specific sect from society. I call on everyone to come and join us and enjoy the show,” said Al Tamimi.
Al Amari first joined the comedy scene in Ireland, where he was born and raised. He has performed 65 stand-up shows in Qatar and is founder of the YouTube channel ‘Assa Ma Shar’. “I am pleased to know that there are Qatari talents who are capable of mastering this type of comedy, which requires special abilities, especially in our society. This type of festival calls on gifted comedians to support the entertainment sector in Qatar by joining us on stage next year,” he said.
Tickets at QR145 for Silver, QR195 for Gold, QR295 for Platinum, QR395 for VIP and QR1,000 for Royal are available at all Virgin Megastores branches in Qatar and online at https://tickets.virginmegastore.me/qa
The Peninsula
DOHA: The three-day Doha Comedy Festival (DCF) starts tomorrow at Qatar National Convention Center, featuring 18 stand-up comedians from Qatar and around the region.
The festival is organised by Social Studios and presented by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) as part of Qatar Summer Festival (QSF) celebrations.
With the success of its first edition last year, the show returns with three times the number of stand-up talents.
Unheard of a few years ago, solo stage comics are gaining popularity across the Middle East, drawing huge crowds in countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Yemen, Lebanon and Jordan.
Popular comics from around the Arab world to feature include Badr Saleh, Fadi Al Shahry, Abdullah Saidan, Wadah Sewar, Ahmed Al Shammari, Ibrahim Khairallah, Mohammed Qaraawi, Rajai Kawas, Abdulrahman Al Shaikhi, Bashar Al Jazzaf, Zaid Al Soudaa, Mouad Alnafii, Mutassem Trabzoni, Nicholas Khoury, Ibrahim Saleh, ‘Shiyyab’, and Qatari talents Hamad Al Amari and Mohammed Al Tamimi.
“Our aim is to boost the entertainment sector in Qatar by sowing the seeds for home-grown talent. Stand-up comedy is inspired by the region’s culture and tradition and bringing together Arab talents from around the Middle East is a way to enrich the viewers’ experience,” said Hamzeh Zaher, Managing Director, at Social Studios.
“Qatar is a pioneer in so many fields and since comedy is a reflection of a society’s reality, DCF seeks to mirror this advancement in the entertainment industry by growing local talent and attracting renowned regional talent. QTA has been a partner in every sense of the word, supporting our growth in every step and we genuinely feel we have been growing with the QSF.”
More Qatari talents will be showcased on the festival’s stage this year, with Mohamed Al Tamimi joining Hamad Al Amari for the first time.
Al Tamimi has performed 18 stand-up shows in Qatar with performances in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia planned for the coming period. “My routine will revolve around my daily personal situations in Qatar as a result of my interaction with a specific sect from society. I call on everyone to come and join us and enjoy the show,” said Al Tamimi.
Al Amari first joined the comedy scene in Ireland, where he was born and raised. He has performed 65 stand-up shows in Qatar and is founder of the YouTube channel ‘Assa Ma Shar’. “I am pleased to know that there are Qatari talents who are capable of mastering this type of comedy, which requires special abilities, especially in our society. This type of festival calls on gifted comedians to support the entertainment sector in Qatar by joining us on stage next year,” he said.
Tickets at QR145 for Silver, QR195 for Gold, QR295 for Platinum, QR395 for VIP and QR1,000 for Royal are available at all Virgin Megastores branches in Qatar and online at https://tickets.virginmegastore.me/qa
