Sonja Allen founded Dubai-based live comedy and events company Big Fish Entertainments in 2018. The second youngest of nine children, including seven older brothers, she was a professional dancer in the UK, Japan and on cruise ships until an ankle injury forced a career change into publishing. A family tragedy then led her to become a professional comedian in 1998. Five years ago, Ms Allen, 49, moved to Dubai when her husband David landed an air-traffic controller role. They live in Arabian Ranches with their two sons, aged 9 and 10.
How did your upbringing shape your attitude towards money?
We lived in a four bedroom council house, 11 of us. Dad was in the merchant navy. It was tough with a lot of mouths to feed. We didn’t have a lot of money. I remember going to school once and mum had cut the toes out of my shoes because they couldn’t afford another pair.
Mum and dad went into the pub trade when I was about 13 and the older ones had fled the nest. Fortunes improved and my younger brother and I benefited, but mum and dad instilled the value of money. We were never given pocket money – we had to earn it. When I got my first car, dad made me save and he paid for insurance. He never told me he was going to do that – he wanted to see if I would save.
Everyone says I'll never be a millionaire because I'm too generous.
How much were you paid in your first job?
Every day, we used to do the ‘bottling up’, getting empty bottles into the crates and then filling the [pub] shelves. We were paid £5 (Dh23) a week.
My first adult job was as a holiday camp dancer in Blackpool in the late ‘80s. I was 16, doing shows and calling bingo, for £56 a week. I went from there to Japan as a dancer and used to send money home every month, that’s where I started thinking ‘I like this saving lark’. If I didn’t have it there, I wouldn’t spend it.
How did you become a professional comedian?
My brother Michael was a comedian, just breaking into the big time, being looked at to host TV shows and I used to do writing for him. Then in 1995 he died of a massive heart attack, only 34 years old. It was devastating. I left my job, sold the house, bought a PA system and went out and did showcases – I knew two gags and three songs.
Was it tough to make a living?
It takes a while to get going. I was terrible at first; I’d do a gig and after 20 minutes they’d go ‘you’re no good, there’s your money, go home’ … any comedian will have stories like that. That taught me to never stop listening or learning and ‘don’t chase the stardom, chase the work’. As long as you’re working on a regular basis, you’re a good comic. I was working six/seven nights a week, earning a very good living.
When I could regularly pay my bills was a huge milestone. I would hate to go back to worrying how I’m going to pay for something, where you can’t sleep because you don’t know where your next gig’s coming from.
How did Big Fish Entertainments happen?
I went with friends to watch a Dubai comedy show. They set me up, got me up out of the audience without warning. I hadn’t been on stage for four years, but did about 20 minutes and started getting my mojo back.
Big Fish was born in November 2018. It’s tough to start anything, whatever the business. You’ve got your flights [to buy for visiting acts], permits, accommodation, marketing, fees, staging, lighting. There’s risk. Last year we lost on a few shows but we expected to in our first year because that’s when you learn. It’s about building a reputation.
Has the pandemic affected you?
Massively. We were off and running in January, then could hear what was happening with Covid-19. We were proactive and chose early on to postpone [shows] – we could see where it was going. Everything from September onwards is staying in place for now.
We’d started building momentum, followers, regular ticket purchasers and needed to stay connected to our audience, so we created on our Facebook and Instagram page exclusive recordings from comedians that go out every Saturday, free of charge. We’ve built a cushion into our plan – it’s not huge, but it will keep the ball rolling.
At home, because we’re not going out we’re not spending, although the shopping spend and AC bill has gone through the roof.
Are you a saver or a spender?
I’m a spender and a saver. Everyone says I’ll never be a millionaire because I’m too generous. But I do save. It’s in the back of my mind, ‘you never know when you’re going to need it’. It’s not a huge amount, but it’s coming in handy now and does set in motion a mindset to continue to save even when we come out of this pandemic, if not more so, because you never know what’s around the corner.
From a professional point of view I don’t scrimp – I want shows to look and sound good, but will always look for the cheapest flight, try to cut down on fees. There’s a balancing act to be done. If I don’t have to spend it, I won’t.
Where do you save?
Savings accounts and we’ve got UK pensions. I don’t think I’d put money into a high interest account I can’t touch for five years at the moment and I’m glad we didn’t go locking away our money. We also put money into bricks and mortar. We have property in the UK, our four-bedroom family home that we rent out.
What is your most cherished purchase?
The Peavey mixer amp I first bought [to do shows] 22 years ago. Half the knobs are missing, but I didn’t want to get rid of it. It was a lot of money then, about £1,200.
A Renault Laguna was my worst purchase, in 1998, for £8,500. It cost me more to keep it going than to buy. I was going to do three UK shows one weekend and the cam belt snapped. It cost £3,500 to get it back on the road and I lost the gig fee.
What are you happiest spending on?
Family time. Before all this happened, every three months we’d do a little staycation, just go and stay in a hotel in Abu Dhabi or Ras al Khaimah. We have a proper little holiday when we’re there.
If I’ve learnt anything from the experience with my brother it's that life’s for living. As long as I can pay the school fees, go on a decent holiday and we’re comfortable, that’s good.
Do you plan for the future?
Hopefully, we’re here for the next 15-20 years, at least until the boys have done their schooling. Our plan is to purchase more property, ideally one overseas. In terms of retirement, we want to go between a property in the UK and somewhere else in winter. And as long as I’m still enjoying comedy, I will continue to do it.
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
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.
more from Janine di Giovanni
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
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
RACE CARD
4.30pm: Maiden Dh80,000 1,400m
5pm: Conditions Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 3 Dh300,000 1,400m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Group 2 Dh300,000 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (30-60) Dh80,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (40-70) Dh80,000 1,600m.
The years Ramadan fell in May
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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