Ali Al Sayed is a comedian based in Dubai. [1] He is the founder of the entertainment company Viva Arts and co-director of Dubomedy Arts, a comedy and urban arts training program based in the UAE. [2]
Al Sayed has performed in various live comedy events across the Middle East and internationally. He co-founded Monday Night Funnies, [3] a regular comedy and variety night in the UAE. He has appeared in regional comedy tours, including Stand Up Expat [4] and Boys Night Out, [5] and has performed at events such as the 2010 EFFIE MENA Awards and Ahlan's 'Best in Dubai' Awards. [6]
He has participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festive, performing in the show Big In Dubai!, recognized as one of the first UAE-produced comedy show to be a part of the festival. [7] He has also performed at the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival and the Muslim Funny Fest in New York City. [8]
In addition to his stand-up work, Al Sayed co-produced the DUBOMEDY International Performing Arts Festival (DIPAF) in 2010 and 2011 [9] and has been involved in producing other comedy-related projects in the region, including Funny Girls, a stand-up comedy troupe featuring female performers. [10]
Al Sayed has worked as a comedy coach and instructor, conducting workshops in the region and abroad. He has served as an acting coach for independent film productions,[ citation needed ] including the Emirati-Indian short film Mallal, which won an award at the Dubai International Film Festival. He has also been an instructor at the Theater of Changes festival in Greece.[ citation needed ]
Al Sayed has appeared on television in the UAE and wider Arab region, with segments on Abu Dhabi TV, MBC, Dubai One and OSN[ citation needed ]. He currently contributes as a comedy writer and commentator on Abu Dhabi Sports TV’s program The Beautiful Game. [11] He has also appeared on the Stand-Up Sketch Show on Shahid [12] and on Comedy Central Arabia. [13]