E-Paper
Sign In
Arabic stand-up goes global as John Achkar’s ‘Aam Jarrib’ lands on Shahid
Filmed at Paris’ legendary L’Olympia, the comedy special marks the first title in a new six-special Arabic stand-up slate produced by Front Row for MBC Shahid
- PUBLISHED: Mon 25 May 2026, 5:04 PM
Arabic stand-up comedy is getting a global streaming push. Lebanese comedian John Achkar is bringing his one-hour Arabic comedy special AAM JARRIB (Tryin’) to MBC Shahid on May 27, marking what producers describe as a major step for the region’s comedy scene.
Filmed live at Paris’ iconic L’Olympia theatre, the special captures Achkar becoming the first comedian to perform a full Arabic-language stand-up show at the venue, which has previously hosted names including Chris Rock and Eddie Izzard.
Recommended For You
Produced by Dubai-based Front Row Filmed Entertainment, the release is the first project in a planned six-comedy-special slate developed for Shahid Originals.
The show explores life in one’s thirties, touching on marriage, identity, Arab family expectations and everyday contradictions through Achkar’s fast-paced storytelling and observational humour.
“For me, this special is bigger than comedy,” Achkar said in a statement. “It’s about proving that Arab stories, Arab humor and Arabic stand-up deserve to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s biggest productions and performances.”
According to the announcement, AAM JARRIB (Tryin’) previously toured more than 85 cities worldwide and sold over 70,000 tickets across performances in Beirut, Dubai, Riyadh, Cairo, Paris, London, New York and Sydney.
Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra described the partnership as “a milestone for Arabic stand-up comedy entering the streaming era at scale.”
The release also comes ahead of Achkar’s upcoming world tour for his new Arabic stand-up show Feena Nehke?, which begins in Canada this June.
Waad Barakat is a Special Correspondent covering security topics, from law enforcement to local courts. With a keen eye for human interest stories, she hopes to blend it all with unique Gen Z-inspired content.