Comedians from the Middle East have long been underrepresented on key comedy networks, until now. Middle Eastern comedians are beginning to champion the comedy game, causing sides to split all across the world. Whether in Arabic or English we’ve done some researching and here are 12 stars with Middle Eastern roots in the global comedy scene.
Ahmed Ahmed
Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed advocates for greater access to the comedy world for Middle Eastern comedians. His jokes centre around race, religion and Western perceptions of Muslims and the Middle East. He was the winner of the first annual Richard Pryor Award for ethnic comedy at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland in 2004 and has toured the US and Europe.
Adi Khalefa
Adi Khalefa hails from Nazareth and performs most of his stand-up in Arabic. His biggest achievement to date is his TEDx Talk. He also made numerous appearances in movies and stand-up series on major streaming platforms, including A Trip to Jaffa in 2010 and Comedians of the World on Netflix.
Maysoon Zayid
A disabled woman with cerebral palsy, Palestinian comedian Maysoon Zayid likes to bring awareness to her condition through her comedy. She describes herself as “Shakira meets Mohamed Ali” and regularly performs TEDx Talks about her life and experience. Her side-splitting jokes have propelled her to fame and captured the hearts of much of the disabled community in America and Palestine.
Eman Morgan
Originally from Egypt, Eman Morgan appeals to Arab audiences in the US with his jokes about life with Arab parents and clashes of culture. His memorable appearance (always wearing a tiny tie and oversized shirt combo) and relatable humour have made him a comedy star in the Arab-American comedy scene. His most notable performances include those on The Comedy Strip.
Rawsan Hallak
Jordanian comedian Rawsan Hallak is taking the comedy world by storm. Centred on her experience as a veiled Muslim woman in the Arab world, her jokes poke light fun at the Arab expat community. Her relatable material, along with her infectious laugh have made her a firm favourite amongst the rising comedians of the Middle East. In 2019, she was invited to take part in Netflix’s original comedy show Comedians of the World.
Omar Ramzi
Also known as “The White Sudani,” Omar Ramzi is one of the first stand-up comedians (and the first white Sudanese comedian!) to perform on stage professionally in Saudi Arabia. He has also performed as an opening act for several stand-up comedians from the US and the UK, such as Ahmed Ahmed and Maz Jobrani. Being half Sudanese and half Irish, he likes to comment on this interesting combination in his comedy.
Maria Shehata
Maria Shehata is an Egyptian-American comedian who is certainly one to watch. She is regularly invited to perform on Comedy Central due to her quick-wit and likeable personality, and she was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 history podcast You’re Dead to Me.
Ismael Loutfi
A stand-up comedian, actor and writer, Syrian American Ismael Loutfi has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Comedy Central. He likes to encourage his American audience to ask him questions about Islam and enjoys debunking common misconceptions about the religion.
Maz Jobrani
Maz Jobrani, who draws on his Iranian heritage in his sets, is one of the most famous M.E. comedians working comedy circuits in the US. He is a member of the “Axis of Evil” comedy group alongside the likes of Ahmed Ahmed and regularly appears on Comedy Central. 
Nemr abou Nassar
Nemr Abou Nassar is a global comedy star, so much so that he has begun to perform in multiple languages! Hailing from Lebanon, Nemr aims to bring the US and the Middle East closer by showing that both crowds can laugh together at the same content. His special No Bombing in Beirut in 2017 helped show that American and Lebanese citizens are more similar than they think.
Mohamed Amer
Drawing on his experience as a Palestinian immigrant, Palestinian-American comedian Mohamed Amer made waves working alongside comedy greats, including Ramy Youssef. His interest in comedy was first nourished by his teacher when she allowed him to practice sets in front of his class.
Ibrahim Al-Khairallah
This Saudi comedian’s career recently reached new heights with his appearance on Comedians of the World. He regularly tours comedy festivals in the Middle East and hopes to expand his audience globally in years to come. Although his stand-up sets are in Arabic, his use of physical comedy allows his jokes to transcend language barriers.