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
Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
