RIYADH: Rehman Akhtar, whose comedy career began at the age of 11, thought it was over for him when he came to Saudi Arabia. He could not have been more wrong: Saudi Arabia’s stand-up comedy scene is thriving and attracting talents from around the world.
Born in Pakistan and raised in the UK, Akhtar emigrated to Saudi Arabia 22 years ago and is one of the earliest comedians to test the waters in the Kingdom.
Akhtar said: “When I came to Saudi Arabia in 2001, I felt that’s the end of my comedy career … I could not be more wrong. I found myself at the front of the Saudi comedy scene.”
The popularity of stand-up comedy has been steadily growing in Saudi Arabia. Although stand-up comedy shows in the Kingdom were once restricted, exclusive to private events, and unusual to the public, comedians like Akhtar continued to deliver jokes, developing this form of art over the years.
In a recent highlight in the comedy scene, the Royal Commission for Riyadh teamed up with Smile Entertainment — a company that has been a pioneer in stand-up comedy in the Kingdom since 2008 — to spread laughter and joy in the capital by inviting comedians to perform a series of stand-up shows at Riyadh Laughs. The schedule of 50 shows takes place every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday starting at 8:15 p.m.
Speaking about his own approach to comedy back in the day, Akhtar said: “There were cultural norms, there were barriers, so I decided the only way I was going to survive in Saudi Arabia was to make the shows halal … So, we did Islamically compliant comedy shows.”
He spoke about the birth of the “Rehman and Friends” comedy show around 2009. They performed inside Aramco compounds before they took the show around the country and to other places.
“From this show grew people like Omar Hussein and Fahad Al-Butairi,” he noted.
Similarly, English comedian Adam Bloom was among the earliest to perform in Saudi Arabia as well. He is from London and has been in the field for 30 years. Adam’s first live show in the Kingdom was 15 years ago, and he performed his latest show recently at Riyadh Laughs.
Bloom said: “I did the first-ever stand-up comedy show in Saudi Arabia 15 years ago in Riyadh, and what an honor … Last time I came, which was last weekend, it was a return trip 15 years later to a very different Saudi Arabia.”
Commenting on how things have developed since he was last here, he added: “The audience 15 years ago would look like they are seeing something new. They would look and be like, ‘Oh, what is this man standing on stage, just being funny.’ This was unusual. But last weekend was like, ‘Ok, there is a comedian. Let’s see what he is going to say.’”
According to Bloom, the audience is now more perceptive. While he used to be more cautious with his jokes before, now he feels that people are more accepting and open-minded.
Both Akhtar and Bloom agreed, however, that comedians should remain respectful to the culture and the audience as some jokes can be considered “incitement to hatred” if the comedian is oblivious or reckless, Bloom said.
