The UAE has become a comedy capital of sorts, with shows by international, regional and local talents having been announced this year.
In addition to big arena shows starring Bill Burr – already sold out – Trevor Noah and Jo Koy, there are plenty of medium-sized and intimate gigs to book, with acclaimed acts from the US, the UK, Egypt, India and the Philippines on the bill.
Here are 11 shows coming our way.
1. Bil 3arabi: August 10 at Hyde Hotel, Dubai
Running since 2020 at different venues in Dubai, the Arabic stand-up comedy series returns with a fresh line-up, including Egypt’s Mohamed Badr and Ali Asmar, and Iranian-American comic Eslam.
Show starts 7.30pm; Dh100; more information is at @bil3arabistudios
2. Joanne McNally: September 2 at The Agenda, Dubai
The Irish comic returns to Dubai having sold out a trio of back-to-back gigs in the emirate in January.
McNally is known for her popular podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, which she co-hosts with presenter Vogue Williams.
It consistently has more than one million downloads each week. A UK television regular, she has appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show, Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel and The Big Fat Quiz of Everything.
Show starts 8.30pm, from Dh295; dubai.platinumlist.net
3. Rosie Holt: September 9 at Theatre by QE2, Dubai
Following her appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, British comic and actress Rosie Holt comes to Dubai with her new show A Woman's Hour.
Inspired by her viral TikTok and YouTube videos, Holt's stand-up show has her examining the nature of pop culture and celebrity.
Show starts 9pm, from Dh150; dubai.platinumlist.net
4. Funny Filipinos Dubai: September 10 at Radisson Red, Dubai
The show features a trio of performances by Filipino comics Imah Dumagay, Alex Calleja and Andrew Orolfo.
The separate sets include relatable observations about life in the UAE and family stories.
Show starts 7.30pm, from Dh100; dubai.platinumlist.net
5. Kapil Sharma: September 24 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
Comedian and actor Kapil Sharma returns to Coca-Cola Arena for another raucous show.
The television star, known for Comedy Circus and Comedy Nights with Kapil, rose to fame after winning the comedy reality show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge in 2007.
Now a household name in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, his relatable observations have made him hugely popular with family audiences.
Show starts 6.30pm; tickets from Dh98; coca-cola-arena.com
6. Vir Das: September 28 at Dubai Opera
The Indian comedian and actor is bringing his Mind Fool Tour to the UAE.
This latest world tour comes on the back of his fourth Netflix stand-up special Landing last year. Das was also in the 2022 film The Bubble, directed by Judd Apatow.
Show starts 8pm, from Dh150; dubaiopera.com
7. Trevor Noah: October 3 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
The comedian, writer and former host of The Daily Show is bringing his Off the Record tour to Dubai.
The Emmy Award winner will use his sharp humour to probe global issues and pop culture absurdities in what guarantees to be a memorable evening.
Show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh295; coca-cola-arena.com
8. Andrew Schulz: October 22 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
The New York comedian has sold out arenas as part of his US tour.
Known for his gritty, no-holds-barred material, his latest show Infamous has already sold 150,000 tickets.
Schulz also hosts the popular podcasts Flagrant and The Brilliant Idiots, and stars in the comedy mini-series Schulz Saves America on Netflix.
Tickets go on sale on August 4; etihadarena.ae
9. Jo Koy: October 28 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
Bringing his world tour to Abu Dhabi, Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy will head to the UAE capital in October.
With four Netflix specials and an autobiography under his belt, the comedian and UAE favourite gets his laughs from drawing on material from his family life and growing up in a multicultural household.
Doors open 7.30pm; from Dh180; etihadarena.ae
10. Jim Gaffigan: November 25 at Dubai Opera
The US comic is known for his acerbic observations on everyday life and in 2019, was named in Forbes’s list of highest-earning stand-up comedians.
The six-time Grammy-nominated comedian also recently released an Amazon Prime Video comedy special, Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist, which received rave reviews.
In 2020, Gaffigan became the first comedian to reach one billion streams on US platform Pandora.
Show starts 8pm, from Dh250; dubaiopera.com
11. Michael McIntyre: January 13 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
The British funnyman will return to Dubai as part of his world tour.
Recognised as one of the UK's biggest-selling comedians, he will also be performing at arenas across the US, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore as part of the tour.
His 2020 Netflix special Showman was one of the most-watched comedy shows on the streaming service that year.
Show starts 8pm; from Dh250; coca-cola-arena.com
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E660hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C100Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488km-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh850%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOctober%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Alita: Battle Angel
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson
Four stars
The five pillars of Islam
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Results
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
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The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
Killing of Qassem Suleimani