It's rare for a comedy show to leave you tearing up with emotion, but that’s exactly what happened when I saw Andrew Schulz at Etihad Arena on Tuesday. He’s no stranger to Abu Dhabi, having performed to a packed audience in the same venue in October as part of UFC Showdown Week.
Back then was also the first time I had heard of Schulz. Curious to know who this American comedian was that had sold out Etihad Arena, I came across a short clip he uploaded on to his YouTube channel from his UAE show. I instantly became a fan. After all, who wouldn’t be impressed by someone from the US learning and joking about chammakis, an Arabic slang used to describe teenagers who hang around malls in groups?
When I went home to Boston for the holidays in late December, he happened to also be performing a show in the same city, so I immediately got tickets. Unsurprisingly, it also sold out. I was impressed seeing him live on stage as he brought his The Life Tour to the MGM Music Hall. I was captivated by his compelling way of telling stories and interspersing them with impressive, localised jokes made for a night of hilarity.
So, when it was announced he would be performing at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Comedy Week only a few months after I saw him in Boston, I knew I had to go. I was also curious to see if he would hold back on anything.
I was surprised to see the same opening acts I had watched in the US, comedians Deric Poston and Mark Gagnon, who took to the stage and warmed up the crowd. While they were both entertaining, I had already seen them perform the same jokes a few months previously, making me worry that Schulz might do the same.
However, I was relieved to learn that would not be the case as he stepped out on to the stage with a thin bamboo stick or as he joked, his "chammaki stick" – something to defend himself from them and keep them at bay.
Schulz began his set with jokes that were obviously geared and catered to the region. In the two times I have now seen him live, I am continually impressed at just how good he is at what he does. As he personalises his sets based on what city he’s in, he has a seamless way of knocking out jokes in such a natural way that you'd already think he was quite familiar with the region.
During his show, it was obvious he took the time to do his research, making references that were not only incredibly funny but relatable enough for a diverse crowd to understand. He made quips about neighbouring countries but also threw out some Arabic words and phrases including using the Lebanese dialect for "shou baddak?" (What do you want?) and the Khaleeji dialect "ghanati" (my dear/my beloved).
While most of his jokes were hits, I did have to turn to my partner at one point to see if he understood a quip about the “UAE beating Saudi Arabia in football” as there seemed to be some confusion – even with Schulz asking the crowd if that was true. My partner clarified he thought it was a reference to Al Ain beating Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League a couple of months ago. Even if some jokes flew over our heads, it was nice to know he cared enough to begin with.
The most impressive part of the entire night was how Schulz seemed not to filter or hold himself back at any point. There was no sense that he wasn’t completely himself on stage. Comparing his show to the one I saw in the US, it was equally compelling and amusing on many levels despite the performances being in quite different places.
In the Boston show, the focus for Schulz was explaining the infertility struggle he and his wife were going through before ending with the announcement that she had finally gotten pregnant. While there were jokes, it was also a very real and tough subject he chose to tackle, making it all the more impressive he was able to do so in a light-hearted manner.
In Abu Dhabi, he continued with the same theme but moved it forward, ending his set with an emotional and touching montage that showed their struggles in trying to conceive to the recent birth of their daughter, which received lots of cheers and applause from the audience as well as caused me to tear up.
Listening to Schulz speak is like catching up with an old friend – albeit with more raunchy humour. His ability to personalise his shows based on the location adds to that sense of familiarity and connection. You feel compelled by his storytelling and root for him and his wife as he shares their struggles. As Schulz finishes his set, you realise the payoff of a happy ending makes everything worth it.
Abu Dhabi Comedy Week continues at Etihad Arena until Sunday
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
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
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Greenwood 77')
Everton 1 (Lindelof 36' og)
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
