OmanPride: Omani comic Abbas Al Lawati goes to Dubai

Sharing your personal stories with a bunch of people who don’t know you, and laughing away your problems, is the most beautiful thing about comics,” said Abbas Al Lawati, an Omani comedian who has been performing for more than 11 years.
Al Lawati participated in a three-day comedy festival in Dubai, and was ranked the third-best comic out of 16 finalists. There were 57 comics competing in the show. The participants were from the GCC, the Middle East, and local residents of Dubai.
This marked a huge step for Abbas, as he has placed Oman’s comedy scene on the Middle East map. “I didn’t go there for the prizes, I went there to share a stage with other comics,” said Abbas, adding “My victory was right there, I was happy.”
Comedy has always been Abbas’s favourite art form. He is a natural-born comedian who knows how to make his family and friends have a good laugh. “I was the funny guy at the table,” said Abbas.
Today, he has established a name for himself and has launched a platform called “Humour Infection”, where local and expatriate comics gather to share a joke. They eat, travel, and write jokes together. And they make sure to offer a helping hand to one another, in the hope of bringing success to the whole comic family.
According to Abbas, the stand-up comedy culture in Oman has grown, with the support of the public. The group’s shows always see a full house, he said, which demonstrates that the Omani people love and appreciate humour. He is determined to prove to the local youth that comedy is popular in Oman, but lacks a platform to put forth his views. “People need to know that Oman has a good comedy scene, as well,” he added. The future is bright for young men interested in stand up comedy, as well as for “Humour Infection”. The brand has become widely popular in both Muscat and Dubai, and is on its way to becoming a regional success story.
Abbas and his team were invited to perform at a ticketed event in the United Arab Emirates, and were interviewed by India’s leading cable television channel, Zee TV, which may well be their doorway to the world of fame.
—[email protected]