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Society

8.22.2017

Saudi King of Stand-Up, Fahad Albutairi

The man who founded stand-up comedy in Saudi Arabia is named Fahad Albutairi. After hitting the stage in 2009, he went on to conquer the world. He also created a YouTube channel, which reached one million subscribers in 2016. He currently exports Saudi humor across borders, starting with the United States.

In Saudi Arabia – his country of origin – Fahad Albutairi’s a star. He launched stand-up comedy in 2009, after fighting his way into the hearts of Saudis, in a Kingdom that was then closed off to entertainment.  Stand-up, since then, has taken off.

He reached a million YouTube subscribers in 2016 on the channel “La Yekthar”, which he launched. Meaning “Shut Up!” in Saudi dialect, the program handles Saudi sociopolitical affairs through humor. In this way, he is able to tackle things like corruption, unemployment, or even traffic jams through his videos. 

Fahad Albutairi.


In 2013 he co-wrote the satirical music video “No Woman No Drive” with Saudi comedian Hisham Fageeh, mirroring the driving ban on women in the Kingdom.


No Woman, No Drive.

Published on 22 August 2017